


Welcome to The Family

by Red1945



Category: Batman - Fandom
Genre: Alfred is the best superhero, Bruce broods too much, Dami, Dick is a jerk sometimes, F/M, Jason is kinda corny, OC, Steph is not dead...sorta, Story gets really dark over time, Tim is a friggin genius, batfamily, canon stories applied
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 19:20:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 40,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7119265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red1945/pseuds/Red1945
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We all know and love the Bats and Birds, and we all know how each member of the bat family is broken and messed up beyond fixing. But what happens when a girl with an unknown past suddenly appears at the manor table one "normal" morning claiming she is they're new maid- can she try to fix everyone of them without losing herself? And what's this about Alfred actually accepting help?  This story contains slightly altered events following the New 52 universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The tenses changes from present to past somewhere in the chapters. Ages are different so Damian is not 10 anymore.

The sun rises one morning, Damian jumps out of the bed and rubs his eyes like a sleepy young boy. Summer is almost over, which means school will be starting soon, the events last night have become a complete haze, but he distinctly remembers the sound of bones breaking and a scolding from the Bat himself or also known as his Father.

Damian washes his face and proceeds to his morning duties, then he finally opens the door and walks out lazily. "Damian." His eyes stay half open, "Drake." Damian grumbles.

Although Damian is a rather trained assassin, Timothy Jackson Drake is Robin, the Boy Wonder, a young 16 year old who is one of the Titans and the trained partner to Batman, but everyone already knows that.

But Damian. Damian seems to be nobody but Bruce Wayne's biological son and the ex-heir to teh throne of The League of Assassins. Not until not-so-long ago when his mother dropped him off and he chose his father over his inheritance from his grandfather.

"Good morning Damian, Tim, have a good sleep, you two?" They all turn their heads to the famous Richard John Grayson- the very first Robin and Bruce Wayne's wayward son, the heir to Batman, but now currently known as Nightwing- the hero of Bludhaven.

"Hey Dick." Tim greets. "Yeah, I guess." He says casually.

"Grayson? What are you still doing here?"

Dick shrugs, "I got some injuries, Alfred didn't want me driving all the way to Bludhaven last night." He informs Damian as the three brothers walk down the stairs.

"That team up last night was..."

"I don't wanna talk about it so early, Tim."

They conversate as they enter the dinning room towards the familiar aroma of sweet waffles.

"Hey Alfred,I see breakfast is-" the three of them stop in mid track.

The glance at the fragile young girl with medium length wavy black hair and snow white skin. A girl quite small and breakable. She is wearing a white fresh white t shirt and pajamas that are a little too long for her liking. Although she is quite small, she is a 12 year old girl, around a year younger than Damian.

Her hands are tucked in between her thighs and her head is simply staring at the plate of warm waffles.

Bruce Wayne is at the head of the table, on his usual seat as the head of the house, he is casually sipping his mug of coffee whilst reading today's news paper.

"Boys." He sets down the paper neatly and moves towards the youth, as he puts a meaty hand on her tiny shoulder, she visible flinches. "This is Myth Gonzales. She will be staying in the manor for some time."


	2. Chapter 2

Myth stands up, and bows infront of them quickly, "morning." She says quietly. Dick Grayson is the first to gain his composure, "morning Myth, I'm Richard Grayson, but you can call me Dick."

She nods noting the information in her head. Then Dick looks at Bruce, "Bruce uh- can we talk for a second?"

Bruce nods and follows his wayward outside the dinning room.

"Bruce." He says in a hushed tone, "you can't be serious. Another kid? Really?" He says sounding quite distressed. Bruce nods, "she will be staying here, Dick." "Temporarily, or permanently?" A long pause coming from Bruce, "I'm not sure yet."

Dick shakes his head, "why? Why would you drag another into this?" Bruce crosses his arms over his chest, "I will not argue about this with you, Dick." He says firmly, "it is my decision if I am going to allow another in this household." Dick sighs, knowing there is hardly any argument to squeeze in when it comes to his surrogate father.

"Does she know?" He asks, pinching the bridge of his nose. "No." Bruce says simply. "She'll find out eventually," Bruce dismisses the conversation by walking back into the kitchen, he glances at the only girl at the table, "eat." He commands lightly. Slowly, she starts to pick up her fork and knife and eats the waffles carefully as if it could explode on her fork, and blow her face right off.

They eat in silence, the scent of fresh food swirling around the air. The air around her is tense. Tim observes the girl with hunched shoulders with the tips of her hair split and spiky but still straight and down. After moments of uncomfortable silence, Damian stands up and slams his hands on the table. "Father, why is she at the table? Who is she? Why is it that we only found out about about this now?" He says rather loudly, glaring at the girl who seems to be sinking lower into her seat. "She does not belong at the table!" He barks.

"Damian." Bruce scowls sending him a harsh glare. "Master Damian, do sit down and show our guest some respect." Alfred says in his grandfatherly calm voice, while taking the empty plate from Drake. Damian sits back down on his seat, unable to ignore the glare from his father. But his scowl does not unsheathe. "I demand an answer, Father."

"Damian." Grayson joins the scolding, sending a quick glare to his brother. "Uh, for once, I agree with the Demon. How exactly did you get here, Myth?" His head turns to the girl who's head is down and back is straight, shoulders unable to relax. But before Myth opens her mouth, Bruce cuts in. "I brought her in this morning." He says cryptically.

"...Aaaand?" Tim asks. But this time, Myth cuts in and stands up, soundlessly backing up her chair and taking her plate off of the table, "excuse me." She mutters and walks towards the kitchen to bring her plate to the sink but is abruptly stopped by Alfred who takes the plate from her with a quick, "please do not trouble your self."

With a quick nod, she tucks her seat in and walks into the kitchen for some reason. All the pairs of blue eyes drift of to Bruce. "She was alone." He answers. Damian shakes his head not, accepting the unspecific answer, "Father, you cannot save everyone."

 

"I can try."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now onto Myth's REAL personality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too many anime references...you'll see more overtime but it will lessen eventually. This story requires a lot of patience.

 

My name is Myth Gonzales, but my parents used to call me Mitty, because...well...I don't really know why.

 

It's amazing how life has changed, one moment everything hurts in a huge blur and then the next I'm in THE Wayne Manor. Where Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake and Damian Wyane lives...and there's this other boy in the news paper and was never mentioned again...Jason Todd. 

 

But seriously....AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! I feel like screaming like a fan girl right now!!!! These people are waaay too awesome for me to breathe the same air with!

 

I simply do not understand how they can hold onto all that awesomeness and still live! 

 

I swear, I can die right now that I've actually layed eyes on them! THEY'RE SOOO AWESOME I SWEAR TO GLOB!

 

*sigh*

 

But it's too bad they don't want me here...

 

*cries*

 

Maybe Mister Wayne made a mistake...

 

*crawls into a ball and walks away*

 

But oh, well!

 

*grins*

 

Maybe I'll stay for a few days so I can find out what cool secrets (to their awesomeness) they have and then leave.

 

But where the hell will I go?

 

*looks down and smiles sadly*

 

I'll find a way.

 

BUT STILL OH GLOB! I'M STANDING IN THE KITCHEN OF THE WAYNE MANOR! YEAAAAAHHHHH! Who knew this debt was the best thing that's ever happened to me???

 

_'Oh please, Mitty, why would you even fangirl over them? They're creatures that probably never even wokred for a day in their life.'_

 

That's what my dad would tell me, but it's soooo hard to believe that the Waynes are just rich snobs.

 

I don't believe the paparazzi, or the rumors about them, because I know that they are awesome people and good guys even though they are obviously hiding a whole bunch of secrets.

 

All my life, I've been imagining walking in the Wayne Manor and one of them glancing at me, even the dead one that I don't wanna mention because...sad...

 

And just a while ago, all of them were starring/glaring at me!! I swear I thought I was gonna melt at their blue eyes! I felt like a little Chibi Italy!

 

...I wish I had blue eyes like theirs- well actually no- I like green eyes but meh. BUT NOOO I'M STUCK WITH THESE LAME BROWN EYES! Stupid genes...

 

"Miss, Myth." Mister Pennyworth stands by me and I look up at him, I swear this old man is giving me the Sebastian vibe. 

 

I stop washing the dishes and look up at the old butler, he's wearing a tidy suit, his silver hair is neatly trimmed, and his wrinkled hands are steady at his side. He eyes me with his own pair of blue eyes.

 

I know that, the Waynes aren't really blood related, but they all...look alike...for some reason.

 

I turn to face him and bow slightly, come on Mitty, don't mess this up. Don't make a mistake, don't embarass yourself, I swear if you do, I'LL KILL YOU!

 

"Mister Pennyworth." I greet. So this is the infamous Alfred Pennyworth, butler to the Wayne Manor...I wouldn't be surprised if he was some wicked loyal demon. He's not mentioned a lot in the papers, but from what I gather- he's probably one hell of a butler.

 

"I understand that you have made a debt within yourself, but I assure you Miss, no one is forcing you to do these things. I can handle them finely." BRITISH ACCENT, BLACK SUIT, CALM VOICE. ONE HELL OF A BUTLER ONE HELL OF A BUTLER!

 

I shake my head, hoping I don't lose my cool, "I'm sorry Mister Pennyworth, but..." I look down, "I owe Mister Wayne my life and..." He nods in understanding, "I understand." He voices aloud, "but I must show you your quarters, if you would come with me now, please." I nod placing the last of the shiny plate aside.

 

"If you would please follow me." He leads me up the stairs, to the second floor where we pass a whole lot of rooms, I glance at Tim Drake who is seated in the library and the open door of Damian Wayne as he sits by his desk doing something, and then Dick Grayson's room who is fixing his backpack to head back to Bludhaven.

 

I'm kind of disappointed how he's going back to his place when I haven't even met him yet.

 

He stops packing and gives me a wave and a smile. 

 

I notice that the smile is fake like one of those smiles he uses in the newspapers, I give him back a fake smile and a wave. Awwww...he doesn't like me...

 

I continue to follow Mister Pennyworth until we stop at a room I assume that I'm staying in for now.

 

I turn to Mister Pennyworth, "Sir, may I ask for the list of chores I am going to do today?" I ask politely.

 

He sighs visibly and nods, "alright, I would need you to change first into these." He hands me a neatly folded piece of clothing. "I will make the list in a moment."

 

I nod and he opens the door for me, I walk in with my head slightly down, then I look up and gasp.

 

I've never had a room to sleep in this big before.

 

It's a nice room, with a queen sized bed with white puffy sheets, a side table by the bed, there's a brown desk near the large closet standing by the wall, a TV a foot away from the bed and a bathroom door not too close to the TV, a dresser with a mirror is near the window with light brown curtains.

I have this sudden urge to jump on the bed and scream...

 

"Alright, now I shall leave you and proceed to my duites." I nod, "thankyou Mister Pennyworth."

 

He suddenly stops shutting the door midway, "Miss Myth. You may simply call me Alfred." I nod and smile. "Could you just please call me Mitty instead of Myth?" I ask and he smiles back before closing the door.

Alfred has more of a grandfather vibe than a butler vibe. I'm guessing that he's important to everyone who has ever lived here in the Wayne Manor.

 

I turn back to the ginormous room. If this room and my old room would be caught in a boxing match, this room would crush my old one.

I grin and stare at the room, I place my new set of clothes on the bed and head to the bathroom.

 

If this is all a dream...I don't want to wake up. If I ever woke up, Archer can go shoot me with his Noble Fantasm now.

 

I turn on the lights to the bathroom, wow, a bathtub and a shower...

 

I walk back and take my clothes and hang it by the towels, I close the door and strip myself off of the t shirt and the pajamas. I turn on the shower and as soon as the hot water hits my back I wince. "Eeeek!" Then I turn on the colder water, "much better..." I mutter.

 

I'm going to have to always keep my guard up with these people, I really don't wanna mess up...

 

Aaaand...I need to follow all the rules.

 

_"Myth. We need to discuss some rules if you're I going to stay here." I nodded, I'm used to rules after all._

 

_"First rule, no swearing." He said sighing, "second, no smoking." That caused me to tilt my head a little, he waved his hand, "don't ask. Third, no talking back. Fourth, if your stay here would be permanent, you are going to have to get a_

_good education. I would like you to get good grades."_

 

_That made me cringe, "what are your standards exactly, sir?"_

 

_"My lowest would be a C."_

 

Damn.

Okay, if this is going to be permanent and if I go back to school...well...I don't have the highest grades, especially with math. C'mon! I wasn't even able to make my own dad proud, how the hell am I going to make Mister Wayne satisfied???

 

If you ask me, I shouldn't get sent to school. There's too many people...and...well, I'm not his daughter (sadly) I'm a helper, helpers don't get education. I would be okay with it if he just sent me to some public school- yeah, maybe he'll do that, maybe he could send me to some cheap public school.

 

Whew. 

 

I turn off the faucet and get myself dry, and put on my clothes. 

Okay Mitty, our ultimate goal here is to make yourself seem as invisible as possible. Watch from the sidelines. 

 

Here are my own rules;

 

No talking unless spoken to.

 

Do not use too much of any of the money. (Don't want them to think I'm taking this for granted)

 

Be good. (duh)

 

Follow all the rules set down on me.

 

NEVER EVER NO MATTER WHAT FOREVER, LOSE YOUR COOL. (Heh, it's not like I was ever cool in the first place.)

 

And try not to get a spanking, okay?

 

I'll probably break the first rule though...


	4. Chapter 4

**\--Later that night--**

I stick my mask on and put on my gloves. "For the last time, Damian. No. Now go upstairs and finish your homework."

I watch as Damian glares at Bruce, "and don't even think about going out tonight again." Bruce flashes Damian a glare that overpowers his. But Damian keeps his stubborn glare on. "And why not, Father?"

"Because. You are not ready."

"But I could do better than Drake anytime!" He growls pointing at me, "hey!" I growl back but neither of them spares me a glance.

"This discussion is over, go to your room. Now." This time, Damian steps back but doesn't let his own version of the batglare go, "fine!" He storms out of the cave and into the manor. Immature as usual.

I walk to Bruce, "what about our guest?" I ask, as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"What about her? She'll be alright."

"That's not what I meant Bruce, you still haven't answered our question this morning. Why is she here?"

"I am not going to have the same-"

"Tim's right, Bruce. Who is she?" Dick walks out of the locker room in his new and improved Nightwing uniform, although I'm glad that he took my advice and didn't switch to red.

"She is going to help around in the house." I raise an eyebrow at that, Alfred may not be young anymore, but he's...well he's Alfred. Alfred doesn't really need any help. "That's it."

"Is her stay here permanent?" I ask.

He looks at me, "I think it's going to be. Unless she has anywhere else to go, she'll be staying here."

"What has her parents said about this?" Dick asks Bruce.

Now it's Dick's turn to get glared at, Bruce shakes his head and pulls on his cowl, "if neither of you are coming to patrol tonight then why don't you ask her." He walks towards the super vehicle and I follow him with a sigh.

"Hey, I'm just here for the night, I'll be leaving tomorrow morning and outta your hair."

We speed out of the cave.

**\--Break Line--**

**  
**13 henchmen, 1 TwoFaced freak, and 5 hostages. Held for ransom.

East End.

Warehouse 37.

"Two hours left, clock is ticking." Two Face threatens one of the hostages.

"Batman, what's the plan?"

"Robin, head from the back, wait for my signal. Nightwing and I will come from the skyline." I nod, but before I move out, bullets blaze through the air, yelling and then blood. Batman crashes right through followed by Nightwing and then me.

13 henchmen dead on the floor, 5 hostages still gagged and tied up by the wall screaming and traumatized and then 1 TwoFaced fread cornered by a man in a red helmet and a mototrcycle jacket. "Hood." Batman calls, as Red Hood points the gun to Dent's brain. "That's enough." The stench of blood finds its way right into my nose.

"Right. So you think it's better to keep this maniac alive?" Red Hood growls, flicking off the safety.

"Hood, maybe we can help you." Nightwing steps forward right infront of me in a protective gesture. "Maybe we can-"

"Since when did I need your help, huh Golden Boy?" Hood says, his back still turned to us and his white eyelets glaring daggers into Dent's face that would've killed. "Ha. My sources were right, you and bats do have somekind of connection!" TwoFace smirks but Hood pressed the nozzle of the gun closer to his head.

"Everyone knows that if I don't shoot, and throw him in Arkham, he'll just break out."

"Hood." Batman warns.

"It's not that hard, Bats. It's too bad that I'll have to traumatize the Replacement, again." I cringe at the memory of our 'little' battle and me losing it.

Then it all happens in a blur, TwoFace somehow gets lucky, and stabs Red Hood with a knife I didn't even know about. A grunt and then running.

TwoFace runs towards the back door but Batman throws something at his legs and catches his legs causing him to fall over. Hood runs towards the front door pulling out the knife and leaving it on the floor without so much as a yelp.

We run after him, he's weak for now, we could catch him.

Somehow, as we run out of the warehouse he's already speeding away on his motorcycle.

I am about to go after him but a large hand is placed on my shoulder, "we can't just let him go!" I growl but Nightwing shakes his head, "it's pointless trying to stop him from here."

Batman says to treat Hood like any other criminal, but it's easier said than done even for Batman...since he's Jason Todd, the _dead_ Robin.

**\--Break Line--**

"Stupid and careless." Batman growls pulling off his cowl. "Bruce, you can't always-"

"You should get some rest, Dick." Bruce looks at me, "same goes for you, Tim." He says gruffly.

Dick and I both know that we should follow Bruce's orders when he gets like this.

I sigh after changing in the locker room and walk up the stairs and out of the cave, but Dick stays. I tiredly walk up the Manor stairs and glance at the clock, it's 3am, I can get around 4 hours of rest before school starts.

I pass by an slightly opened door and peep my head in to find the girl- what's her name again, oh yeah. Myth. Sitting by the window ledge staring outside at the darkness with a notebook on her lap. "Hey." I say, she yelps and drops her notebook. I surpress a chuckle as she picks her notebook up, "sorry didn't mean to scare you."

She smiles sheepishly with a little blush on her cheeks. "Hi." She greets timidly, why does she remind me of someone so familiar?

"Why are you still awake?" I ask her and look at her neat bed which hasn't been touched.

She shrugs, "I-uh-I couldn't sleep." She raises her head, "what about you? You look like you just came home from somewhere." Then she narrows her eyes at me with her cheeks slightly puffed, "where did you go?" She asks.

I chuckle and mess up my hair, "how would you know?"

"You smell like smoke." Well Gotham's pollution does smell like smoke.

"I just stepped out for a second." I mutter and she nods not bother to press it anymore.

"Okay..."

"So, uh, what do you have there?" I gesture over to the notebook in her hands, but she hides the notebook behind her back.

"UH, nothing! Nothing!" She smiles while blushing slightly and shaking her head, "I-It's ugly! You can't see it!"

I reach for the notebook behind er back, "I'm sure it's not so bad." I smile and gently pry it out of her hands and she practically hands it to me in silence. I look at the drawing, "Batman and Robin huh?" She nods, "yeah, it's ugly..." She mutters shyly.

I shake my head, "It's great! You just need to work on your shading." I mention and she nods and takes it back, "okay..."

"Batman's your favorite hero?"

She nods, "He's awesome! But he's my second favorite hero."

"Second? Who's your first? Superman?"

She chuckles lightly and shakes her head, "nah, he's too much of a boy scout." If only Bruce heard that, it would make his day, "plus he cheats with his powers, Batman could take him down anytime!"

"Then who's your favorite?"

"ROBIN!" She jumps.

"Robin?"

She nods enthusiastically, "uhu! To be honest, I like Robin more than Batman!" That's not something you hear everyday.

"ROBINROBINROBINROBIN!" She grins.

"Really?"

"Well yeah!"

"You like teh sidekick more than the hero?"

Her face drops and she frowns, "Don't call Robin a sidekick! He's a hero too! He should never be called a sidekick. Ever!"

"Okay! Okay!"

She crosses her arms over her chest and nods. "So are you going to buy clothes tomorrow?"

She cocks her head, "clothes?"

"Alfred told me you didn't have much in your wardrobe."

"Yeah, but..."

"Then that settles it, I'll tell Bruce to give you some money to go buy some clothes tomorrow."

"What! No! I don't need clothes!" I walk towards the door.

"Good night Myth."

"Mitty. Call me MItty." I nod and yawn, "okay, night Mitty." I shut her door and walk into mine.


	5. Chapter 5

It's been a week, and somehow, I lasted.

 

For some reason, I'm still in the manor.

 

Thought I'd last less than a week.

 

I sweep the floor, wash the windows, dry clean the clothes. I walk out of the laundry room and into the kitchen to help prepare breakfast, but I already see

Alfred in his usual butler outfit standing by the stove preparing pancakes for the family. Without a glance he tells me, "Master Bruce is calling you at his study."

"This early, sir?" I didn't think Mister Wayne would get up so early. But then again, he does have his Wayne Enterprises meeting later.

 

Alfred nods, and I immediately make my way up into Mister Wayne's study.

I open the door to find him standing facing the window and staring outside. "Myth, come in." He turns around like some epic protagonistic rich dude from some action film. I nod and take a seat in front of the neat mahogany desk.

"You called, Sir?" I ask.

 

He nods and takes a seat in the much larger chair obviously designed for him. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

 

My eyes widen slightly, AM I IN TROUBLE???

ERMAGERD WHAT THE HELL DID I DO THIS TIME!?

 

But before I could speak, Mister Wayne waves his hand as if dimissing my thoughts, "don't worry, you're not in trouble." He says as if reading my thoughts.

 

So he's a tellepath now?

 

I relax for a moment, whew. I thought he was gonna kick me out for a second there.

 

Bruce Wayne gives me an uneasy feeling, his stance, his serious eyes, the way he can tower over anyone without even trying is just plain suspicious. He is not the playboy the tabloids always talk about. No. He's keeping a secret. He pretends to be a playboy and shows the world that he's some sort of snobby pig, but...I don't think so. He's not some playboy stuck up rich dude. No. But then, that's what he's making the press believe, which means he's obviously hiding something about his personality.

 

I try to keep my cool and slightly cock my head, "then what did you call me here for?"

 

"I need somethings to implement in clear out regarding your life here at the manor."

 

"Sir?" Now I'm just confused, what's that supposed to mean?

 

"I will be taking care of you now, Myth. Whether you like it or not. I will be sending you off to school and ready adoption papers." Wow. How straight forward can he be?

 

"But. Mister Wayne. I am not to be thought of as a certain responsibility or a child. I am a servant at this-" he raises his hand and shakes his head which immediately dismisses my idea. "You are not a servant, Myth."

"But Sir, what about the-"

 

"Those are personal matters, what I am taking about is how we will fix this. I took you out of that place and brought you here and I've decided that I am going to adopt you." My eyes widen.

 

Is he really going to adopt me? I mean, money is not a problem but to carry another burden?

 

"You obviously have no where else to go and so I am proposing that you will be staying here." A long silence etches between us, and then he continues. "Unless you don't want me to adopt you. I don't mind looking for a better orphanage."

 

Orphanage? B-but...I don't wanna go to the orphanage.

 

But what he is telling me just isn't right. After everything that's happened, he changes things and says he's going to adopt me?

 

It's exciting and all...but...I don't want to be a burden...

 

He gives a small shadowed smile, "what do you say, Myth?" Does this man know anything about real human emotions?

 

A silence.

 

All I can hear is the ticking of the antique grandfather clock. The rays of sun peeping in through the curtained windows only slightly lighting the room. The silence goes on forever spun by my dumbfoundedness that I could hear a pin hit the ground from a mile away.

 

"Mitty. Sir." I say silently.

"What?" He asks recovering from the sudden shatter of silence.

 

"I would like to be called Mitty and not Myth from now on."

He nods and his smile widens slightly. "Alright, Mitty, I will ready the adoption papers." He stands up and walks up to me, I stand up as well but stop before I head towards the door.

 

"But Sir. This won't change the past agreement." I smile slightly and bow a little before heading towards the door and exiting shutting the door with a light 'click.'

 

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding in the whole time.

I can't help the grin that paints across my face.

 

I'm going to be adopted by Bruce Wayne...woahhhhhhhh...new life...woahhhhhhhh...

 

Who knew that certain tragic event that happened three months ago would turn into certain blessed event?

 

—Break Line—

 

I have to familiarize myself with this place. But it's just. So. Damn. Huge.

I'm lost and I have no idea where I am.

 

But that shouldn't stop me from cleaning up now should it?

 

I continue to dust the antiques and priceless jewels. Wow. If I could sell any of these, It would last me three months of food and water. But that would be stupid to steal from Bruce Wayne. I mean what bozo would steal from this 6 foot + man?

 

Plus, if I got caught. That would be embarrassing. I don't wanna get sent to Juvie!

 

I carefully dust the photos of really old and probably legendary people, and wipe the windows. After rubbing the windows sparkly clean, I can practically see my own reflection in it. A girl with messy black hair tied up in a bun, eyebags lining dark brown pupils, and white skin. I am wearing tight pants that are until two inches above my ankle and an oversized white t shirt that used to belong to Tim Drake when he was fourteen. Heh, looks like I'm just really tiny.

 

I smile a little at myself with my dry lips, then I turn around to notice a glare reflecting off of something shiny placed on a table near the jewelry. It's funny because, whatever the object is, it's out shinning the jewelry.

 

I walk towards it, enchanted like a rag doll. Shiny, shiny.

 

I stop right in front of it. A picture frame.

 

My eyebrows furrow as I stare at it with curiosity.

 

A boy, who has thick jet black messy hair that frames his head neatly, lips formed into a large electric grin, and teal green eyes filled with utter excitement in mischief staring straight at the camera, right at me. In the captured memory, he seems to be in a go cart, ready to drive and crash into every single car in the track.

 

By the small hints of puberty about to hit him, I can tell that he was around thirteen going on fourteen in this picture.

 

He looks slightly familiar, as if I've seen him before in the back of my head, the same blurred frame emerges.

 

But I know who he is. I've only heard and seen his name a few couple of times, sometimes in the newspaper headlines talking about a fancy party of Wayne Enterprises was crashed because of him, or something about a charity case or maybe a little article at the center of the news paper about how the boy is a complete trouble maker.

 

Even though those news headlines and articles were like a century ago, I still know who this is.

 

With the slight information I have on the Wayne's and the common sense I have, I can name him.

 

Jason Peter Todd.

 

His story is a blurr to me, but I know bits and pieces from what I heard about him when I was younger. If I can recall correctly, he was a street kid and a complete orphan, then for some reason Bruce Wayne took him in one day, I don't remember much but he was labeled as a charity case, he made a few headlines and articles at first, but that was it, no one heard about him in the newspapers or on the internet at all. I remember, that one day, it made the headline...

 

Wayne charity case, dead.

 

Jason Todd, age 15 found dead at a bombing accident in Ethiopia.

 

That was the end of him.

 

After that Bruce Wayne laid low for a while, there were rumors about shame and irresponsibility. But what I thought when I over heard the news when my mom gossiped to our maid...I didn't have a reaction...well I was six. Young but old enough to understand what death meant. I just kept eating my noodle soup that afternoon, but the story of Jason Todd was never forgotten by me.

 

I recognized a tragedy when I heard one, even before. But at that moment, I knew that I couldn't do anything about it.

 

"Mistress?" I turn around to find Alfred standing at the door.

I smile sheepishly, "uh, hi Alfred."

 

His eyes lock on the photo that I was looking at. "I see you found that picture."

He must have noticed me starring at it. "I-uh, yeah. I got lost. This place is just so big, you know!" I smile.

 

But for some reason, Alfred's face sombers visibly as he stares at the photo. My face immediately drops, "was it something I said?"

 

He looks back at me and smiles with that grandfather aura and shakes his head, "oh, no, it's just...ah never mind. I came to tell you that your duties are done for the day."

 

I furrow my eyebrows slightly and look at the window to see the sun in the center of the sky shinning brightly, "already? It's only the afternoon."

 

"I prefer that you do something else for the rest of the day instead of staying locked up in the manor sweeping and mopping the floor."

 

I nod, "okay...but...what do you want me to do?"

 

"I am not quite sure if you are aware that Master Timothy and Master Bruce has agreed on giving you a little bit of money to go shopping."

 

"Shopping?" Oh, yeah, that's right...man, but I don't know how to go shopping...I'm not like those normal 'human' girls!

 

He nods, noticing my distressed face, "but..." I look down, "I don't know..."

"Mistress. If it is not obvious to you, you need more suitable clothing to wear. I'm afraid Master Timothy will eventually run out of old oversized shirts to lend you and Master Damian is not cooperative."

 

I half frown- pout. "Alright..." I grumble, walking over to him with the duster still in hand.

 

He smiles and chuckles, "if it would make you feel better, would you like me to come with you?"

—Break Line—

 

Clothes. Clothes. Clothes. Clothes.

 

Alfred chose the right mall.

 

"What shop would you like to look at first?"

 

"I don't know. What's the budget?"

 

"I am sure you have no need to worry about that." He says with slight humor.

 

"Well first, I'll need to buy some clothes for the house, that's very essential. Then I'll need some underwear. And last is the clothes for going out." I tell myself as I enter the department store. It's a good thing that there aren't too many people here, plus it isn't too expensive.

 

We spend at least an hour filling the basket with clothes for the house and some underwear.

 

When we leave the department store, we pass by a music shop and I stop then stare at the beautiful shiny...electric guitar...guitar...hehe...guitar...

 

I don't know how long I stand here when Alfred stands beside me, "do you know how to play?" He asks.

 

I look up at him, "a little bit." I mean, hardly. "Beginners."

 

"Have you ever had one before?"

 

"Nope. Not my own" I shake my head, "I used to just borrow my friend's before she broke her own guitar." I chuckle at the memory of my friend falling off the bed and landing on her guitar that she placed on the floor.

 

I turn around and continue walking tugging at Alfred's sleeve, "c'mon, we don't wanna waste any time." I say with a smile.

 

I ended up buying two baseball shirts, four t shirts with cute prints on them, three band shirts, two jackets, a black hoodie, five pairs of jeans and socks, two fandom shirts, a baseball cap, a cheap wallet, a cheap sling bag, a 2 dollar black and purple watch, some hair ties and a Batman shirt in which Alfred raised an eyebrow with.

 

For shoes, I just buy a pair of slippers, white rubber shoes, Converse and boots just because.

 

That's my entire wardrobe, but if you compare it to a typical girl's closet, my wardrobe doesn't even hit 1/8 of it.

 

"Not a single dress or skirt." Alfred comments as he drives me back to the manor.

 

"Ehh...I'm not a huge fan. I only wear dresses or skirts on special occasions."

 

Plus their hard to run in.

 

"I see. What were the combat boots for?"

 

I shrug, "I just think their cool."

 

"You did not seem to buy from any of those usual stores that young ladies usually acquire their clothes in."

 

"Hey, I went to Aeropostale and...yeah,"

 

"But that was it."

 

I nod, "uhu. I don't see what's wrong with it though."

 

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with it. But it was thoughtful of you to enter a few stores to buy Masters Tim and Damian something."

 

I grin, "thanks."

 

We pass by a hump and I watch as the trees pass by, then my smile falters and I remember something. "Alfred. When is Mister Grayson coming back?" I ask looking at him who doesn't tear his eyes off the road.

 

"Master Richard, came home that night to come and visit. But I'm afraid, Bludhaven is quite a trip away. Maybe some kind of emergency will bring him back home."

 

"Does he always do that? Come and leave?"

"I'm afraid so."

 

"What about Tim?"

 

"What about the young master?"

 

"He's 16, is he going to move out too?"

 

He smiles, "thankfully. Not yet. We still have some time with him." 2 years. "Why

has that popped into your head now young Mistress?"

 

I shrug, "their nice. I like them. It would be nice if they don't go away."

 

He pauses for awhile and continues to smile at the road, "yes, yes it would." He mutters.


	6. Chapter 6

**—2 weeks—**

I open my eyes to the sun glaring in my eyes. I groan and turn over to reach for my phone on the side table.

 

Last night was a rough night, those dealers were large number sure, but I didn't expect Crock to show up out of no where. I look at the time, 10:36am, seven hours. That's a lot, but I still feel like a load of crap.

 

I sit up and pull a shirt on and run my hand through my tousled hair, I get up and replace my old bandages. I sit down at the empty kitchen table and stuff cereal in my mouth.

 

I throw on my leather jacket, grab some money and leave my sh*tty apartment,

 

I walk down the streets of the East End to head to the grocery, I'll need more cereal for tomorrow morning, good thing there's always that grocery just down the block.

 

"5.37 dollars." I put down the exact amount, as the guy puts the box of cereal, three packs of cigarettes and my can of coffee in a plastic bag, I look around the counter area.

 

That's when a newspaper headline catches my eye.

 

A picture of HIM, smiling at the camera with his hand placed firmly on a fragile girl's shoulder. I narrow my eyes and take the newspaper and add it to the receipt.

 

Well I'll be damned.

 

BRUCE WAYNE ADOPTS ANOTHER ORPHAN YET AGAIN

 

What is it with him and orphans?

 

Is he really planning to drag another kid into this?

 

She looks like she could just whither under his grasp any second now. I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't already know.

 

How many is he going to f*cking sacrifice?

 

I stare at the newspaper for a long, long time reading the main article over and over again as I sit in my couch in silence.

 

What's he gonna do? Make her into the next Batgirl? After what happened to Stephanie and Barbara?

 

No, he wouldn't do that. Put another life on the line. Would he?

 

Even now, I still don't get why he replaced me with that weak 16 year old kid as Robin, he's gonna get himself killed but at least he's smart enough to follow orders.

 

Damian, his biological son is well...his biological son so he doesn't have a choice.

 

But this new kid. She's gonna die. Bringing her into this. I wouldn't be surprised if a new Batgirl comes running around Gotham in tights out of nowhere. And then dies after six months.

 

I put the newspaper down.

 

Well, whatever's gonna happen to this new kid, ain't my problem.

 

**—Break Line—**

 

"Master Damian, wake up. Master Tim. Mistress, oh I see your already up, good."

Alfred says as he closes my door. First day of school, and I'm entering school yay... Great. I passed the tests and I won't be needing to repeat grade 8 because well...I don't know Bruce Wayne has the power? Yup, complications.

 

But anyways, I'm going to Gotham Academy and it's gonna be a rich snob hell hole. I know.

 

It's kinda sad how I won't be in the same grade as Damian, he's in grade 9, Tim is in grade 11 and the top in his class. But my main problem is...how the hell am I gonna pass?

 

Bruce Wayne is good at everything, he's smart and obviously not only academically, Dick Grayson was a top student, Tim Drake is a friggin' genius, Damian Wayne is an arrogant smart butt! How am I gonna compete with that?

 

I can already imagine...'oh wow, Tim nice grades. Damian, good. Mitty! What is this.'

 

Grrr. Aw man...I'm like an F-C student!

They're like A++++++++++++++ students! Darn it!

 

I take out my uniform and hang it by my bathroom, I close the door and remove my clothes and wash my face, I walk into the shower and turn it on scalding hot.

It burns, I can see the hot air already escaping the shower area, and my back is probably already red. Serves me right for future me failing grade 8.

 

It's kinda stupid how I'll be entering towards the end of the year.

 

I look down at myself. Damn these scars, when will they go away?

 

On my body, stomach, thighs, shoulder blade. There's even one invisible scar on my forehead.

 

They're so ugly, go away scars! Ow! hot water!

 

I turn it off and shampoo my hair and soap my body humming a few tones. I'm glad no one is banging on the door and rushing me anymore, unlike before.

I turn on the water and rinse off the soap. I get myself dry and put on my newly ironed uniform.

 

 

 

"Morning." Tim greets stabbing a forkful of blueberry pancakes.

 

Damian only gives me a quick glare as he chews on his peanut butter sandwich.

 

Mister Wayne nods and takes a sip out of his coffee.

 

Alfred pours some orange juice in Damian's glass.

 

I smile widely and say in my most cheerful voice, "good morning!" I plop down on the seat beside Tim (cause I know Damian will bite me if I sit beside him).

 

Alfred looks at me and smiles as he walks towards the kitchen.

 

I look down at my plate of bacon and eggs, "bacon!" I don't really like bacon, but a wise but not-so-wise woman once told me, 'don't pick your nose in public,' but some other dude told me to eat what's on your plate. "Thanks Alfred."

 

I start eating the bacon and eggs after mumbling a quick prayer. They all look at me with curiosity.

 

"It seems like a good day for you." Tim says.

 

I shrug, "I guess."

 

Damian rolls his eyes, "typical. First day of school is the best day of my life kind of childish act."

 

Bruce glares at Damian and then looks at me, "so are you excited about school?"

 

I shake my head, "not really. But that shouldn't ruin my day."

 

"That's good."

 

Tim looks at me, "I never went to grade 8." He mumbles almost sadly.

 

"Why not?" I ask.

 

"Skipped it." He looks back at his pancakes.

 

"Oh..." And he was disappointed in that? Smart ass...

 

"But I'm sure you'll do fine." He smiles halfheartedly.

 

I nod, "hope so."

 

"You better." Yeah...or else I'm gonna have to repeat the entire grade 8 if I don't get a passing grade of at least Bs in my report card.

 

Bruce drives us to school. Me and Damian in the back, Tim in the front, talking to Bruce about his driver's license and when the test is gonna be as he studies Bruce's driving.

 

Damian glares out the window with his earphones plugged in his ears and I look at the world with curious eyes.

 

That dude is walking, that woman is holding hands with that guy, that guy is sleeping on the sidewalk.

 

Gotham is a horrible place, no doubt about that. But there is still some light.

 

"Damian." I whisper as a question pops in my head.

 

"What?"

 

"Who's your mom?" I ask quietly and he looks at me with narrowed eyes.

 

Bruce and Tim are still talking in the front too busy to hear what we're talking about.

I bit my lower lip. Oops, wrong question.

 

"What's your favorite show?"

 

He rolls eyes but the tension disappears. "I don't have one." He says blantly.

 

"Favorite song?"

 

"What a stupid question, I have none."

 

"Favorite-"

"That's enough. Stop trying to make such pointless conversations with me!"

 

"Damian." Bruce scolds.

 

But Damian still glares at me, and whispers, "I don't know who you are, but when I find out, I'm going to make sure that you get kicked out." Then he returns to looking out the window as if nothing happened.

 

"Oh..." I whisper looking at the leather seats.

 

Someone's grumpy.

 

I scoot back to the other end of the car and look out the window with less curiosity.

 

 

I open the doors to the school as Tim and Damian walk to their own classrooms, I am greeted by a woman with short brown hair and a work attire, she gives me a large false smile.

 

"Good morning, you must be Miss Gonzales."

 

I nod, glob she sounds like some weird robot thingy.

 

She leads me to classroom 8-B and then leaves with that smile still printed on her face, "and please send Mister Wayne my best regards!" She calls out before leaving.

 

The classroom is full of students talking and yapping about pointless stuff, giggling and gossiping and all that crap. I seriously feel like rolling my eyes but that would be rude.

As I walk up to a random seat, and put my stuff down then I wait for the teacher patiently and quietly.

 

"Good morning class."

 

"Good morning Miss Caster."

 

"Before we begin, I should introduce our new student. Now, tell us your name, Miss..." I'm pretty sure you know who I am, my face is all over the news papers right next to the richest man in Gotham.

 

"Myth Gonzales, but you can just call me Mitty." I smile slightly in front of the class.

 

"Alright, Mitty. Please take a seat, right here."

 

I sit down and face the board, "Mitty huh? Why Mitty?" Someone from behind me asks, a girl with a bunned blonde hair and tan skin, glasses pushed up to her head.

 

"It's my nickname."

 

She nods, "oh, okay. So, you're the new student?"

 

"Yup."

 

"You were the student that was supposed to enter at the beginning of the year, but didn't."

 

I nod, "pretty much."

 

"Why?" She asks.

 

"Complications."

 

"Ooh....okay." She smiles, "well, welcome to grade 8, Mitty."

 

"Thanks." I smile back.

 

"Now class..."

 

 

 

 

 

"Riiing!!"

 

Lunch bell. I reach for my lunch in my locker and head to the cafeteria.

Wow, that's...a lot of people...

 

I go around the cafeteria looking for a table and I eventually settle down on one empty table and open my lunch, I watch as people chatter and talk. Yap. Yap. Yap. Yap. Yap.

 

I see Tim, sitting on his own table with his own group of friends and Damian at another table with one tiny looking boy.

 

Wow. School life is booring...no one is bullying me, idk what my grades would be yet, boooooriiiiiing!

 

**—Break Line—**

 

Finally! School is over!

 

I run towards the car and grin at Alfred, but it looks like we're parked. "Mistress, we must be waiting for Master Timothy, he still has a certain group assignment to finish."

 

I notice Damian grumbling in the back seat with his arms crossed.

 

"Oh..." I don't wanna sit in there with Damian, he's gonna bite my head off!

 

"Can I just walk home?"

 

Alfred looks at me like I've just grown another head.

"Oh course not! Do you know how dangerous Gotham is when the sun is coming down?"

 

"I've done it before..." I mumble leaning on the car.

 

39 mins.

 

39 minutes and counting...

 

The sun has already set and I'm getting impatient.

 

I look around looking for something to entertain me, but I don't have a phone or anything, Damian won't talk to me and...I'm bored...

 

I'm just gonna go...feet, take me wherever you wanna.

I end up walking towards the other side of the street, down the road, passed an alley, right and then left heading towards the store.

 

I open the door and walk inside.

 

I grin, "woah..."

 

Action figures, comic books...FULL ON GEEK MODE.

LOOK! ITS A BATMAN POSTER

ERMAGERD AVENGERS COMICS!

OMYGOB ROBIN ACTION FIGURE!!!!!

 

I look through the entire store, the store clerk watching me as I look around.

It's kinda sad how they don't have the comics of our heroes...they only have comics of Marvel. They should make a comics of Batman, it should be called Zero Year...but that's gonna be hard since no one knows any of the real heroes' identities.

 

But they do have posters and figurines of our heroes!

 

They even have a Joker mask!

 

"It's nice to know that there are still some kids that appreciate the comics and our heroes." The store clerk says.

 

I grin, and nod as I stare at the figure of Nightwing, ew, it's a figure of him with long hair. Why the hell did he have long hair. I'm glad he cut it off.

 

I move onto the poster of a man in a red helmet, I stare at him for a moment and then leave the store.

 

My feet take me to another store and for some reason I end up buying old newspapers of a few days ago with my allowance.

 

It's mostly about some, gang war with The Black Mask and some guy named The Red Hood.

 

I know who the Red Hood is, I've heard about him, he'd make dealers wet their pants for some reason, he even went toe to toe with Batman and did not end up in jail or Arkham. For some reason, Batman and Robin can't catch him.

Something urges me to ask around, I ask the dude who sells the newspaper.

 

"Who's this dude."

 

He tells me what I need to know after some persuasive powers and a little extra grub.

 

Red Hood has been targeting criminals, corrupt politicians, dangerous people...not innocence...

 

He seems like a cool dude...

 

Love the helmet and the leather jacket though.

 

I want your leather jacket Red Hood...I want it...

 

GIVE ME IT!

 

I look up at the sky as I walk out the store and down the empty side walk, the sun is completely down and it's dark.

 

Where am I anyways?

I look around 5th Avenue, Financial District it says in the graffiti painted street map.

 

Wait...where's Gotham Academy again?

 

Oh yeah...wayyy over there...

 

Right...why am I headed to Gotham Academy?

 

I don't...let's just keep looking- I mean I! I should just keep looking.

 

But wait what were we- I looking for again?

 

"What's a little kiddie like you doing out here eh?" A gruff voice asks and I jolt my head towards the voice.

 

I see a large bulky man, walking towards, looks about 30 or 40, he has that look in his eyes telling me that he's about to do something...not good.

 

Wait...there are rapists in the Financial District? Oh yeah...Gotham's never safe.

 

"Ooh, and a Gotham Academy student too. Tell me kiddo, you have high grades?"

 

I shrug, "oh, hey mister. Yeah, Gotham Academy, today's my first day!"

 

**—Break Line—**

 

Mitty grins enthusiastically as the man walks towards her with a knife behind his back.

 

"So...what's your name, eh?"

 

She frowns, her big eyes staring at the man in a red hoodie, "oh, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. And it's nighttime now, mister. You should get to your mommy!" She says with her hands behind her back and bending forward a little.

 

But the rapist walks towards her, then he stops and looms above the pint sized 4 feet and 11 inches, 12 year old.

 

"You should get home, or your going to end up dead tonight!" She giggles.

 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The gruff voice asks.

 

She shrugs and bloats her cheeks, "I don't know what your talking about Mister, but I have to get home." She says holding in a laugh, turning around and walking away from the stranger. "I hope you survive tonight, Mister!" She giggles.

 

The stranger runs after her, "hey! You!" He growls and starts to pounce after her. "Come back, I ain't gonna hurt ya!"

 

But Mitty moves down an extremely dark alley and when the man walks in, nobody is there.

 

 

 

"My, where is that girl!" Alfred looks to his left to find no one there. He turns to look back at the car, then back to master Tim. Then he turns to his right and Mitty is standing right there.

 

He calms down, "ah, there you are Mistress." He sighs, "come now, we must be going."

 

He leads her into the car and Master Tim gets in as well.

 

Damian looks at Mitty who has suddenly fell silent and stared blankly out the window, her mouth closed and her eyes occupied.

 

"Gonzales." Damian mutters and glares in her direction.

 

She turns her head to him slowly and stares into his eyes blankly for a moment.

 

Then she cocks her head and smiles, "yes?"

 

**—Break Line—**

 

 

3am. Nobody's home.

 

Mitty slowly sits up in her bed and rubs her eyes sheepishly.

 

She climbs out of the bed and out the room, her legs take her around the house, she walks around in her white night dress as she opens the doors of every room (skipping one, forbidden room) to find nobody at all inside. She cocks her head slightly with confusion settling in her eyes.

 

Mister Wayne is always busy, but what does everyone else do?

 

She walks around the manor, the souls of her feet brushing against the cold wooden floor as she walks around castle.

 

Nobody. Is. Home.

 

Where are they?

 

Then Mitty twists the knob of the study.

 

Maybe they're in here.

 

But all she finds is an empty room with a desk, a chair, some books, papers and a grandfather clock.

 

She walks inside, curious about the ticking clock.

It must be a very old clock. But it still works.

 

Mitty blinks twice staring at the clock. She runs her hands through the soft polished wood. It must be an important clock too...

 

Then her sleepy eyes drift to the wooden floor.

Why would there be a rug near there?

 

She drops to the floor and moves the nice looking rug away.

 

Scuff marks.

 

Cool! A secret passage way!

 

I wonder if mister Wayne is in some sort of fraternity club?

 

If I hurry up and find a way to open this up, I could open it just in time to see the head chopping!

 

She stares at the clock.

 

She moves to the side of the clock and with all her strength, she moves it.

 

She stands at the doorway and gasps, her eyes widening slightly and her head cocking, a small smile creeping on her lips.

 

 

**A/N: Mysteries...mysteries. More mysteries next on...Welcome to the Family. I'll try to fix the horrid typos in my next chapters!**

**—2 weeks—**

I open my eyes to the sun glaring in my eyes. I groan and turn over to reach for my phone on the side table.

 

Last night was a rough night, those dealers were large number sure, but I didn't expect Crock to show up out of no where. I look at the time, 10:36am, seven hours. That's a lot, but I still feel like a load of crap.

 

I sit up and pull a shirt on and run my hand through my tousled hair, I get up and replace my old bandages. I sit down at the empty kitchen table and stuff cereal in my mouth.

 

I throw on my leather jacket, grab some money and leave my sh*tty apartment,

 

I walk down the streets of the East End to head to the grocery, I'll need more cereal for tomorrow morning, good thing there's always that grocery just down the block.

 

"5.37 dollars." I put down the exact amount, as the guy puts the box of cereal, three packs of cigarettes and my can of coffee in a plastic bag, I look around the counter area.

 

That's when a newspaper headline catches my eye.

 

A picture of HIM, smiling at the camera with his hand placed firmly on a fragile girl's shoulder. I narrow my eyes and take the newspaper and add it to the receipt.

 

Well I'll be damned.

 

BRUCE WAYNE ADOPTS ANOTHER ORPHAN YET AGAIN

 

What is it with him and orphans?

 

Is he really planning to drag another kid into this?

 

She looks like she could just whither under his grasp any second now. I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't already know.

 

How many is he going to f*cking sacrifice?

 

I stare at the newspaper for a long, long time reading the main article over and over again as I sit in my couch in silence.

 

What's he gonna do? Make her into the next Batgirl? After what happened to Stephanie and Barbara?

 

No, he wouldn't do that. Put another life on the line. Would he?

 

Even now, I still don't get why he replaced me with that weak 16 year old kid as Robin, he's gonna get himself killed but at least he's smart enough to follow orders.

 

Damian, his biological son is well...his biological son so he doesn't have a choice.

 

But this new kid. She's gonna die. Bringing her into this. I wouldn't be surprised if a new Batgirl comes running around Gotham in tights out of nowhere. And then dies after six months.

 

I put the newspaper down.

 

Well, whatever's gonna happen to this new kid, ain't my problem.

 

**—Break Line—**

 

"Master Damian, wake up. Master Tim. Mistress, oh I see your already up, good."

Alfred says as he closes my door. First day of school, and I'm entering school yay... Great. I passed the tests and I won't be needing to repeat grade 8 because well...I don't know Bruce Wayne has the power? Yup, complications.

 

But anyways, I'm going to Gotham Academy and it's gonna be a rich snob hell hole. I know.

 

It's kinda sad how I won't be in the same grade as Damian, he's in grade 9, Tim is in grade 11 and the top in his class. But my main problem is...how the hell am I gonna pass?

 

Bruce Wayne is good at everything, he's smart and obviously not only academically, Dick Grayson was a top student, Tim Drake is a friggin' genius, Damian Wayne is an arrogant smart butt! How am I gonna compete with that?

 

I can already imagine...'oh wow, Tim nice grades. Damian, good. Mitty! What is this.'

 

Grrr. Aw man...I'm like an F-C student!

They're like A++++++++++++++ students! Darn it!

 

I take out my uniform and hang it by my bathroom, I close the door and remove my clothes and wash my face, I walk into the shower and turn it on scalding hot.

It burns, I can see the hot air already escaping the shower area, and my back is probably already red. Serves me right for future me failing grade 8.

 

It's kinda stupid how I'll be entering towards the end of the year.

 

I look down at myself. Damn these scars, when will they go away?

 

On my body, stomach, thighs, shoulder blade. There's even one invisible scar on my forehead.

 

They're so ugly, go away scars! Ow! hot water!

 

I turn it off and shampoo my hair and soap my body humming a few tones. I'm glad no one is banging on the door and rushing me anymore, unlike before.

I turn on the water and rinse off the soap. I get myself dry and put on my newly ironed uniform.

 

 

 

"Morning." Tim greets stabbing a forkful of blueberry pancakes.

 

Damian only gives me a quick glare as he chews on his peanut butter sandwich.

 

Mister Wayne nods and takes a sip out of his coffee.

 

Alfred pours some orange juice in Damian's glass.

 

I smile widely and say in my most cheerful voice, "good morning!" I plop down on the seat beside Tim (cause I know Damian will bite me if I sit beside him).

 

Alfred looks at me and smiles as he walks towards the kitchen.

 

I look down at my plate of bacon and eggs, "bacon!" I don't really like bacon, but a wise but not-so-wise woman once told me, 'don't pick your nose in public,' but some other dude told me to eat what's on your plate. "Thanks Alfred."

 

I start eating the bacon and eggs after mumbling a quick prayer. They all look at me with curiosity.

 

"It seems like a good day for you." Tim says.

 

I shrug, "I guess."

 

Damian rolls his eyes, "typical. First day of school is the best day of my life kind of childish act."

 

Bruce glares at Damian and then looks at me, "so are you excited about school?"

 

I shake my head, "not really. But that shouldn't ruin my day."

 

"That's good."

 

Tim looks at me, "I never went to grade 8." He mumbles almost sadly.

 

"Why not?" I ask.

 

"Skipped it." He looks back at his pancakes.

 

"Oh..." And he was disappointed in that? Smart ass...

 

"But I'm sure you'll do fine." He smiles halfheartedly.

 

I nod, "hope so."

 

"You better." Yeah...or else I'm gonna have to repeat the entire grade 8 if I don't get a passing grade of at least Bs in my report card.

 

Bruce drives us to school. Me and Damian in the back, Tim in the front, talking to Bruce about his driver's license and when the test is gonna be as he studies Bruce's driving.

 

Damian glares out the window with his earphones plugged in his ears and I look at the world with curious eyes.

 

That dude is walking, that woman is holding hands with that guy, that guy is sleeping on the sidewalk.

 

Gotham is a horrible place, no doubt about that. But there is still some light.

 

"Damian." I whisper as a question pops in my head.

 

"What?"

 

"Who's your mom?" I ask quietly and he looks at me with narrowed eyes.

 

Bruce and Tim are still talking in the front too busy to hear what we're talking about.

I bit my lower lip. Oops, wrong question.

 

"What's your favorite show?"

 

He rolls eyes but the tension disappears. "I don't have one." He says blantly.

 

"Favorite song?"

 

"What a stupid question, I have none."

 

"Favorite-"

"That's enough. Stop trying to make such pointless conversations with me!"

 

"Damian." Bruce scolds.

 

But Damian still glares at me, and whispers, "I don't know who you are, but when I find out, I'm going to make sure that you get kicked out." Then he returns to looking out the window as if nothing happened.

 

"Oh..." I whisper looking at the leather seats.

 

Someone's grumpy.

 

I scoot back to the other end of the car and look out the window with less curiosity.

 

 

I open the doors to the school as Tim and Damian walk to their own classrooms, I am greeted by a woman with short brown hair and a work attire, she gives me a large false smile.

 

"Good morning, you must be Miss Gonzales."

 

I nod, glob she sounds like some weird robot thingy.

 

She leads me to classroom 8-B and then leaves with that smile still printed on her face, "and please send Mister Wayne my best regards!" She calls out before leaving.

 

The classroom is full of students talking and yapping about pointless stuff, giggling and gossiping and all that crap. I seriously feel like rolling my eyes but that would be rude.

As I walk up to a random seat, and put my stuff down then I wait for the teacher patiently and quietly.

 

"Good morning class."

 

"Good morning Miss Caster."

 

"Before we begin, I should introduce our new student. Now, tell us your name, Miss..." I'm pretty sure you know who I am, my face is all over the news papers right next to the richest man in Gotham.

 

"Myth Gonzales, but you can just call me Mitty." I smile slightly in front of the class.

 

"Alright, Mitty. Please take a seat, right here."

 

I sit down and face the board, "Mitty huh? Why Mitty?" Someone from behind me asks, a girl with a bunned blonde hair and tan skin, glasses pushed up to her head.

 

"It's my nickname."

 

She nods, "oh, okay. So, you're the new student?"

 

"Yup."

 

"You were the student that was supposed to enter at the beginning of the year, but didn't."

 

I nod, "pretty much."

 

"Why?" She asks.

 

"Complications."

 

"Ooh....okay." She smiles, "well, welcome to grade 8, Mitty."

 

"Thanks." I smile back.

 

"Now class..."

 

 

 

 

 

"Riiing!!"

 

Lunch bell. I reach for my lunch in my locker and head to the cafeteria.

Wow, that's...a lot of people...

 

I go around the cafeteria looking for a table and I eventually settle down on one empty table and open my lunch, I watch as people chatter and talk. Yap. Yap. Yap. Yap. Yap.

 

I see Tim, sitting on his own table with his own group of friends and Damian at another table with one tiny looking boy.

 

Wow. School life is booring...no one is bullying me, idk what my grades would be yet, boooooriiiiiing!

 

**—Break Line—**

 

Finally! School is over!

 

I run towards the car and grin at Alfred, but it looks like we're parked. "Mistress, we must be waiting for Master Timothy, he still has a certain group assignment to finish."

 

I notice Damian grumbling in the back seat with his arms crossed.

 

"Oh..." I don't wanna sit in there with Damian, he's gonna bite my head off!

 

"Can I just walk home?"

 

Alfred looks at me like I've just grown another head.

"Oh course not! Do you know how dangerous Gotham is when the sun is coming down?"

 

"I've done it before..." I mumble leaning on the car.

 

39 mins.

 

39 minutes and counting...

 

The sun has already set and I'm getting impatient.

 

I look around looking for something to entertain me, but I don't have a phone or anything, Damian won't talk to me and...I'm bored...

 

I'm just gonna go...feet, take me wherever you wanna.

I end up walking towards the other side of the street, down the road, passed an alley, right and then left heading towards the store.

 

I open the door and walk inside.

 

I grin, "woah..."

 

Action figures, comic books...FULL ON GEEK MODE.

LOOK! ITS A BATMAN POSTER

ERMAGERD AVENGERS COMICS!

OMYGOB ROBIN ACTION FIGURE!!!!!

 

I look through the entire store, the store clerk watching me as I look around.

It's kinda sad how they don't have the comics of our heroes...they only have comics of Marvel. They should make a comics of Batman, it should be called Zero Year...but that's gonna be hard since no one knows any of the real heroes' identities.

 

But they do have posters and figurines of our heroes!

 

They even have a Joker mask!

 

"It's nice to know that there are still some kids that appreciate the comics and our heroes." The store clerk says.

 

I grin, and nod as I stare at the figure of Nightwing, ew, it's a figure of him with long hair. Why the hell did he have long hair. I'm glad he cut it off.

 

I move onto the poster of a man in a red helmet, I stare at him for a moment and then leave the store.

 

My feet take me to another store and for some reason I end up buying old newspapers of a few days ago with my allowance.

 

It's mostly about some, gang war with The Black Mask and some guy named The Red Hood.

 

I know who the Red Hood is, I've heard about him, he'd make dealers wet their pants for some reason, he even went toe to toe with Batman and did not end up in jail or Arkham. For some reason, Batman and Robin can't catch him.

Something urges me to ask around, I ask the dude who sells the newspaper.

 

"Who's this dude."

 

He tells me what I need to know after some persuasive powers and a little extra grub.

 

Red Hood has been targeting criminals, corrupt politicians, dangerous people...not innocence...

 

He seems like a cool dude...

 

Love the helmet and the leather jacket though.

 

I want your leather jacket Red Hood...I want it...

 

GIVE ME IT!

 

I look up at the sky as I walk out the store and down the empty side walk, the sun is completely down and it's dark.

 

Where am I anyways?

I look around 5th Avenue, Financial District it says in the graffiti painted street map.

 

Wait...where's Gotham Academy again?

 

Oh yeah...wayyy over there...

 

Right...why am I headed to Gotham Academy?

 

I don't...let's just keep looking- I mean I! I should just keep looking.

 

But wait what were we- I looking for again?

 

"What's a little kiddie like you doing out here eh?" A gruff voice asks and I jolt my head towards the voice.

 

I see a large bulky man, walking towards, looks about 30 or 40, he has that look in his eyes telling me that he's about to do something...not good.

 

Wait...there are rapists in the Financial District? Oh yeah...Gotham's never safe.

 

"Ooh, and a Gotham Academy student too. Tell me kiddo, you have high grades?"

 

I shrug, "oh, hey mister. Yeah, Gotham Academy, today's my first day!"

 

**—Break Line—**

 

Mitty grins enthusiastically as the man walks towards her with a knife behind his back.

 

"So...what's your name, eh?"

 

She frowns, her big eyes staring at the man in a red hoodie, "oh, I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. And it's nighttime now, mister. You should get to your mommy!" She says with her hands behind her back and bending forward a little.

 

But the rapist walks towards her, then he stops and looms above the pint sized 4 feet and 11 inches, 12 year old.

 

"You should get home, or your going to end up dead tonight!" She giggles.

 

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The gruff voice asks.

 

She shrugs and bloats her cheeks, "I don't know what your talking about Mister, but I have to get home." She says holding in a laugh, turning around and walking away from the stranger. "I hope you survive tonight, Mister!" She giggles.

 

The stranger runs after her, "hey! You!" He growls and starts to pounce after her. "Come back, I ain't gonna hurt ya!"

 

But Mitty moves down an extremely dark alley and when the man walks in, nobody is there.

 

 

 

"My, where is that girl!" Alfred looks to his left to find no one there. He turns to look back at the car, then back to master Tim. Then he turns to his right and Mitty is standing right there.

 

He calms down, "ah, there you are Mistress." He sighs, "come now, we must be going."

 

He leads her into the car and Master Tim gets in as well.

 

Damian looks at Mitty who has suddenly fell silent and stared blankly out the window, her mouth closed and her eyes occupied.

 

"Gonzales." Damian mutters and glares in her direction.

 

She turns her head to him slowly and stares into his eyes blankly for a moment.

 

Then she cocks her head and smiles, "yes?"

 

**—Break Line—**

 

 

3am. Nobody's home.

 

Mitty slowly sits up in her bed and rubs her eyes sheepishly.

 

She climbs out of the bed and out the room, her legs take her around the house, she walks around in her white night dress as she opens the doors of every room (skipping one, forbidden room) to find nobody at all inside. She cocks her head slightly with confusion settling in her eyes.

 

Mister Wayne is always busy, but what does everyone else do?

 

She walks around the manor, the souls of her feet brushing against the cold wooden floor as she walks around castle.

 

Nobody. Is. Home.

 

Where are they?

 

Then Mitty twists the knob of the study.

 

Maybe they're in here.

 

But all she finds is an empty room with a desk, a chair, some books, papers and a grandfather clock.

 

She walks inside, curious about the ticking clock.

It must be a very old clock. But it still works.

 

Mitty blinks twice staring at the clock. She runs her hands through the soft polished wood. It must be an important clock too...

 

Then her sleepy eyes drift to the wooden floor.

Why would there be a rug near there?

 

She drops to the floor and moves the nice looking rug away.

 

Scuff marks.

 

Cool! A secret passage way!

 

I wonder if mister Wayne is in some sort of fraternity club?

 

If I hurry up and find a way to open this up, I could open it just in time to see the head chopping!

 

She stares at the clock.

 

She moves to the side of the clock and with all her strength, she moves it.

 

She stands at the doorway and gasps, her eyes widening slightly and her head cocking, a small smile creeping on her lips.

 

 

**A/N: Mysteries...mysteries. More mysteries next on...Welcome to the Family. I'll try to fix the horrid typos in my next chapters!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damian is 13. That's his official age in this fic.

I don't understand why Father sends me to this wretched place called school, Mother has taught me everything I needed to know a long time ago and yet, I still have to go to this prison where I know everything there is needed to know.

 

Never the less, I like being marked as one of the toughest in class. But I'm only ONE of the toughest, there are other boys in this class who I often rival with.

 

"Hi Damian!" Colin waves his hand at me with a large grin.

 

"Colin." I greet as I set my stuff down at a table.

 

"Did you hear what happened last night?"

 

I raise an eyebrow, "what had happened?" Last night I was too busy sleeping and dealing with the nightmares.

 

"Riddler was finally caught! Batman and Robin caught him!" He says cheerfully.

I clench my fists at the mere mention of Drake, that should be me out there as Robin with Father, not him! I glare at Colin, "do not speak of them ever again, understand Colin."

 

His mouth shuts and he nods slowly, "oh...okay...but why?"

 

"Just don't."

 

Lunch. This disgusting place they call an eatery. That horrible stench of carbon dioxide mixed I with the horrible aroma of their foods. I sit down at an empty table in front of Colin and open my lunch kit. Pennyworth does a satisfactory job with my food and because it is the only food I may eat, I must eat it.

 

"Hey Colin. Well? Where's your lunch money?" Colin winces.

 

"Leave him alone, Nathan." I tell him without looking up from my food.

 

"Watcha gonna do, huh, Damian?"

 

"Try me." I bark.

 

 

Somehow, I end up in the dean's office.

 

"That's enough explaining Nathan." She looks at me.

 

"Now, I would like to hear your side of the story."

 

"He threw the first punch! I simply defended myself and my friend!" I growl.

 

"That's not true! I just went up to their table and then Damian here, got up and threw a punch to my jaw! See!" He shows her the bruise on his jaw.

 

"I did no such thing, Nathan!" I growl back.

 

"That is enough. You two have been rivals since Damian's first day here! Can't you two just go one year without fighting?"

 

We both cross our arms and say in unison, "no."

 

The dean sighs, "alright fine. You two get to class." She waves her hand dismissing us both, "I'll have to send your parents a notification of what had happened today."

 

I grumble as I stomp out of the office.

 

 

—Break Line—

 

"What had happened back at school." Father asks from the staircase as I walk in through the doorway. Drake passes me and enter the kitchen with a smirk and Gonzales follows but I can see her brown eyes peeping past the door.

 

"What do you mean, Father."

 

"The dean called, said you got into another fight tonight."

 

"Father, I was simply defending-" Father raises his hand, and shakes his head, "no. I don't want to hear your excuses. You know the rules and the punishments and yet you still chose to break them. Now go upstairs."

 

"But-"

 

"No buts. No excuses. Receive your punishment since you are brave enough to break the rules."

 

I bow my head slightly as I begin to walk towards Father to head up the stairs.

 

"Wait." Turn my head to see Gonzales standing by the kitchen doorway staring up at Father. She walks behind me.

 

Father raises an eyebrow, "what is it?"

 

She looks at him straight in the eye, "Sir, I think you must hear him out. I saw exactly what happened, the other boy was bullying Damian's friend and Damian stepped up. The boy eventually punched him and Damian had to defend himself and his friend!" She says rather loudly, then she bows her head slightly "....Sir...."

 

Father looks at me with a look I cannot decipher, "is this true, Damian?"

I nod, "yes..." I mumble.

 

He walks downstairs with this new information, "your punishment will be less but you will be grounded for the next week. No leaving the house unless for school."

 

I nod, "yes Father."

 

—Break Line—

 

The sun has finally set, and it's time for Batman and Robin to come out. Damian watches as the Bat Mobile drives away with a boom, and he turns to the seat in front of the screen. Monitor duty, as always.

 

Damian is still new to these human emotions.

 

He was groomed and trained from the beginning, to be an elite assassin. He was never given a chance to feel like a child, he was treated more like a thirty year old man rather than a child.

 

Damian didn't understand the concept of emotions....much less the word 'love' or even family. Mother was more like a master than a mother, and Grandfather was the most difficult grand master to please. They were all blood related, but that did not really matter.

 

Then at eleven years old, he was dropped off here, at the manor,with his Father, as if he didn't matter anymore to his own Mother.

 

At first Damian didn't know what to feel. So he replaced his confusion with anger. At first he tried to kill the nuisance called Drake. He would go out at night killing people to try and please Father, but that had never worked.

 

Then Father tried to restrain him by leaving him in the cave during monitor duty and training him from time to time.

 

Even after two years, Damian didn't understand how to be a child, but he was one and even though he is already 13, he is still treated like one. But some of the anger eventually died down, and he learned the meaning of emotions. He learned to put up with Drake and Grayson. He learned what was family, that you don't need to be related by blood to be family.

 

But of all the 'brothers,' he had a favorite. Not Drake, no. Obviously not Todd- Damian didn't even consider him. It was Grayson, because Grayson was the one who showed him most affection and was the least irritating. In a span of two years, he learned much from the man who would visit often, he learned how to greet someone with open arms and defend the lesser.

 

But then, Grayson has become absolutely busy nowadays and hardly has time to visit.

 

And secretly, Damian would wish to himself to make Grayson come home and stay home for good.

 

But no one must know that.

 

But Grayson had hardly come home and Father showed him no affection. SO the boy had become...numb.

 

"There's a meeting in warehouse 72 by the Narrows." Damian warns.

 

Every night, it was like this, he would watch as Father and his brother would speed off into the night and come back with bruises and scars. It took some time, but Damian had stopped protesting.

 

There were nights that he worked with Oracle, nights when Nightwing would jump in and then come home to the manor because of the injuries. Nights when Batman would get extremely worked up because of another encounter with the Red Hood.

 

Damian had never encountered Todd, he never even met him. No, not once. He doesn't care to meet him at all.

 

But there are times...when he would watch as Father would stare at the glass case beside the computer system for hours, sometimes, he would catch Grayson staring at the memorial, and on one occasion...he caught Drake looking up at the case.

 

Damian glances at the case.

 

What makes Todd so special, anyways?

 

He died, came back- so what?

 

But at the back of his mind. Damian imagines himself meeting the second Robin. The Robin who had died. The little legend that Drake looks up to. The missing piece in the puzzle.

 

"Alright Damian, we're headed home." That's the signal that Damian should head to bed.

 

Every night Damian walks up those stairs and passed the clock and right into his room. Like any other night.

 

But tonight was different.

 

Damian walks up the stairs as the clock opens automatically, he walks in the study and towards the door. He sees the door a crash bit open and out of curiosity, he opens it rather harshly.

 

What he sees catches him by surprise.

 

The girl, crawled up in a ball leaning on the wall, sitting on the floor, with her eyes closed and her breathing soft, drifted into a peaceful slumber. He looks at the fragile little girl.

 

It's almost hard to believe that she's twelve. Damian has five- maybe six inches on her. If she stood next to Drake, Drake would look like a lion compared to her.

 

Damian bends down and nudges her head with his foot, "Gonzales, wake up." He commands and slowly she opens her big brows eyes halfway.

 

"Y-yeah?"

 

"What are you doing here?"

 

"Waiting...for you guys, to come home." She says, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

 

"Why by the study."

 

"I don't wanna get the couch messy..."

 

She stands up drowsily and looks at Damian with her half closed eyes.

 

"That's stupid." Damian says.

 

She shrugs and looks around "where's Tim and Mister Wayne?" She asks softly.

 

"On their way home." Damian says without any further emotion.

 

She nods, "okay..." And walks to her room, Damian watches her as she passes

the doorway and opens the door with her shoulder and plops down on the queen sized bed face first.

 

Damian scowled.

 

Although, he had familiarized himself with these different emotions, but what he understands the most is anger.

For a while his anger was concentrated on Drake, but now. He as found something new to channel his anger at. Myth Gonzales.

 

He is angry the fact that he found out about this young 12 year old. Who she was before appearing one day on the seat at the table that had always been empty, as if reserved just for her.

 

All he found out about this girl was her name Myth Gonzales, her parent's names, family members, her past school, her birthday, and that was it, no its.infomation was found. The files said nothing else.

 

Who was Myth?

 

Gonzales was a student, .commoner, with no real past. One of those who would pass by as the heroes fought the battles.

 

She was a nobody.

 

Her life was probably perfect before she got here. What makes her think she could just barge into the most important story of Gotham? The story about the Batfamily.

 

Looking at who she is now; a happy, joyous, youthful kid, she obviously hasn't even set eyes on the terrors of Gotham.

 

But Damian would change that. He would make her life. Miserable. Make her

taste the horrible blood sucking painful bite of why real life is like.

 

—Break Line—

"I'm scared..."

 

"Shshsh...its okay...don't be afraid, I'm here."

 

"I'm sorry..."

 

"Don't be. It's not your fault..."

 

Fire. Everything is on fire.

 

Running. Keep running. Where are they!? Can't...breathe...too

much...smoke...help!

 

Blood. Splattered on the floor, on the fiery walls, and tainted on the burning picture frames.

 

Get out! Get out now!

 

"G-gone...n-no..."

 

"Thankyou."


	8. Chapter 8

_Crack_

Bones cracking, blood dripping.

_Wack!_

The metal came down and teared at his flesh.

_Wack!_

It didn't stop.

He silently begged, for all of it to stop, that someone out there would save him from all this agonizing pain. Someone would hear his silent screams of horror. But all that answered him was cackling.

That sick sadistic cackling.

Somehow...through all that blood ringing in his ears, he could still hear that laughter...

...Enjoying every drop of his spilled blood, taking pleasure in his pain.

And that creature, hovering above him with the crowbar raised above his head lowers it down with another _wack!_

He could feel another one of his ribs breaking.

His arms were aching, every muscle fiber screaming at his mind as his arms were tied behind his back.

His feet fling in two directions each time the metal touches flesh.

His wrists bleeding from the cuffs rubbing his skin raw.

All he can do is lay there helplessly as he waits and wonders **if** someone would come and save him.

All he can do is wait...

Wait...

He closes his eyes eventually, falling into the pitch black darkness that is his salvation from the color red.

He could not see...but he could still hear that laughter...and he wishes that he could cut his eardrums off and take away that stomack churning laughter.

Laughter- _crack._ Laughter- _crack._ Laughter- _crack_.

Then suddenly it stops.

The clanging if metal of the floor.

The warm breeze licks at his face as the heavy door is opened.

"please tell the Big Man, I said...hello."

_Bam._

The door shut.

And he opened his eyes and tumbled over slowly making his writs go right in front of him.

He tried to stand up.

But he fell.

And he crawled.

He crawled towards the door.

Just a little bit more.

But as he pulled at the knob...

It was locked.

He sat there...waiting...hoping...

In silence. But the sweet silence bites back and betrays like everyone and everything else did.

_Tick- tick- tick_

His eyelids lower accepting death. Rolling over and raising the white flag.

 _Tick_.

**BOOM!**

Jason Todd jolts up to screaming, only to realize it's his own screams.

**\--Bludhaven--**

Dick Grayson- a skilled detective, a charming persuasive young man, an amazing talented acrobat, a badass crimefighting vigalante at night, the ex- leader of the Titans, the ex- boyfriend of every woman he's banged- munches his favorite cereal, watching TV in his Batman pajamas.

His eyes half closed, and his usually gelled hair still in bed head form.

Bludhaven's sky was gray with a touch of sunlight- brightest that Bludhaven would get- but compared to Gotham, Dick is just thankful that the sun comes up at all here in his city.

He glances at the wall clock above the TV, a good 3 hours to kill before he has to get to work.

He stands up and dumps his bowl in the sink. As he washes it, the gossip news channel suddenly yells, " **Bruce Wayne adopts another kid!"**

"But this one's a girl!" The perky reporter says with a fake smile, "maybe Wayne got tired of the boys running around? But I wonder...ya folks think this one's another...orphan?"

And sure enough a picture of Myth Gonzales pops up on the screen. That tiny 12 year old girl.

Dick turns around and watches.

He can't help but feel uneasy around her. Like he has the need to avoid her.

Dick loves to be around people, some might even call him a whore (preferably Jason.) Not many people can give him that feeling.

The feeling of making his spine tingle, the hair at the back of his neck stand, his shoulders visibly tense.

Not even the 'normal' everyday thugs that he captures can give him that feeling.

That uneasy feeling of throwing him on edge is usually reserved for the criminaly insane patients of Arkham.

The Joker; makes his radar go haywire...as if that phsycopath isn't even human anymore.

And this girl...this "newbie" gives him that uneasy feeling close to The Joker's on his radar.

**\--Wayne Manor--**

Bruce Wayne watched as Myth stood and starred at the painting in the wall.

It was absolutely difficult to believe that anything was wrong with this girl aside from her hungry curiosity.

She stares up at the painting in slight awe but not laying a finger on the delecate canvas hanging on the wall.

It's a beautiful painting- no doubt about it.

The way the colors are together, the strokes and the tecture, the sharp lines...yes, a beautiful painting.

But the painting looked...cursed.

The background is dull and gray, the dark colors of the clothing, the intense blue eyes.

But the smiles...

The smiles made up for any of the dullness. The smiles from the three faces. One from the father, the mother, and the largest smile came from the son.

"What do you think of it?" Bruce Wayne stood next to the young girl.

She turned her head slightly, "Sir?"

"The painting, what do you think of it?" He asks as he admires the painting.

"It's a beautiful painting." She answers with truth and looks back at the painting that seemed to be made into somekind of altar.

"Made by a famous Italian painter that I could never remember the name of. But I do remember how I hated standing there for what felt like hours." He recalls with no real emotion as he tries to carry on this first failing small talk.

But Myth doesn't mind the lack if emotion and smiles still adniring the painting alongside her master.

The relationship between the young girl and the man is an awkward one. Myth sees him as the owner of the estate, the man who she is serving. While Bruce wants to get closer to her and erase the thought of him being her master.

But neither of them see each other as Father and Daughter. Maybe they won't ever.

"They're your parents." She states and he nods.

"Were they good parents?"

"Of course they were. "

"...how was it like?" She asks without a quiver in her voice.

This catches his attention and his head turns to her, but she still doesn't look up at him.

"They made me everything I am today." He answers.

" _Did they_?" Her voice sounds dull but somehow still has so much emotion put into it.

"Is that what parents are supposed to do?"

**\--Break Line--**

Alfred Pennyworth sat at the kitchen table enjoying a warm cup of tea and a good classical book.

Whilst Myth sat across him curled up with her own comic book and a cup of hot chocolate.

Master Bruce had gone to a meeting. Master Tim had zeta'd to Jump City to help with a mission with the Titans. Master Damian was at his friend's house.

Leaving Myth and Alfred.

It was nice, to have this peace and quiet Alfred would never get from Master Tim and Damian constantly arguing.

But it was in the middle of the afternoon, and all the duties he had in this day was accomplished awhile ago, thanks to some help of course- things were easier with Mistress, things were done quicker.

So they sat here, in comfortable silence as the specks of sunlight entered through the windows.

"Are you always left alone, here?" She asks.

"Well...most of the time, everyone else is busy with work or school."

"...Don't you ever get bored?"

"No. I usually have much work to be done."

"But I've noticed...that no one is ever home. During the day or even at night." Her statement causes Alfred to gently put down his book.

"It's always so quiet..." She mutters, flipping a page.

That's right...Myth is only a child, everyday children often cannot take being locked up all day. Or even complete silence. This chid in particular, doesn't like being alone- that is why she likes following Alfred around whenever he works.

She is not very talkative- no. She is usually quiet, but she simply enjoys the presence of another person.

If she is always kept locked up in the manor, she could turn into Bruce.

"Why don't you go out and get some fresh air for a few hours. There is no more work to be done anyways."

She looks up at Alfred.

"What makes you think I have the need to leave this place?"

"Mistress. You have only left this estate to proceed to learning for your education, but that is all. You are not our prisoner, and you are obviously bored- looking at the fact that you have been reading the same book over and over again for the past few days."

She puts down her Civil War comic book.

"But won't you be left alone here if I leave?" She asks, countering his argument with a polite voice.

Alfred can no longer hide the little smile tugging at his lips.

**\----Break Line----**

It is unknown as to how, Alfred had won the argument. But Mitty soon finds herself walking around the financial district with guilt slowly weighing her down.

"I shouldn't have left him there alone!" She grumbles.

She keeps her hands in her pockets and her jacket hanging on her shoulders as she walks down the sidewalk towards a closed underground subway that's blocked by police tape.

She heads towards it and goes under the police tape and walks down the stairs in the darkness without any fear of tripping.

Then she raises her hand and hits the switch.

The lights turn on to reveal the abandoned subway and the train tracks, but the rest of the way is blocked by debris.

There's a skateboard by the wall and a guitar next to it, on the walls are pieces of news articles and pictures connected to each other and then on the walls are graffiti and random posters, there's an old radio by the few pieces if crackers.

She put this place up just a few weeks ago. Curiosity can also be a good thing.

It's nice to know that nobody has been daring enough to go down here in her short time of absence.

She looks at the wall of newspaper clippings and adds two more. There isn't that many, but it's more than enough.

She kicks the empty can of spray paint away and adds another poster on the 'wall of fame.' The wall consists of mostly Batman and Robin and she knows that there isn't just one Robin. A few posters of the Batgirls are next to the Robins.

She's figured a few things out. Robin number 1 left and became Nightwing (5 pics and articles of Nightwing and 7 of him as Robin). Robin number 2 died...sad...(9 pics and articles of him). Then now is the recent one (6 pics).

In the wall of fame are pictures of 2 Robins and a Batman. A Nightwing, and then her new favorite character in this game is Red Hood.

Yes, Red Hood belongs in this wall.

She stares at it and thinks for a while, then she grins and giggles. "I KNOW WHO THEY AREEE!!!" But then she stops jumping and places her finger on ger chin, "well...except for Red Hood. BUT STILL!!" She laughs.

"THEY'RE SOOO AWESOME!!!!"

Then she stares at Robin #2.

**Robin saves the mayor of Gotham!**

The news article says with the picture if a twelve year old in the uniform.

Then she remembers the case by the huge computer. The tattered uniform.

"Wait...if Grayson is number 1, and Drake is number 3...then...Todd is number 2." Logic.

She plops down on her butt.

"Now that's just sad..." She mutters. "That's not fair!" She growls, "number 2 was awesome!"

She looks at the article about The Joker, "your fault! You suck!"

She sighs and crawls towards her guitar, " _let's_ just attempt to play again."

For about, two or maybe three hours, she tries to learn a song on the guitar, but she hardly know how to play- she's only memorized the chords, but she can't figure out the strumming pattern.

She puts it down and turns on the radio. The music and the voices of the DJ's accompany her as she gets on her skateboard and slowly makes progress on learning how to flip.

The wheeles of her board scratch at the rail as she balances on the railings. She smiles as she continues to learn.

She tries to flick the skateboard again but fails miserable as she lands on her back and scratches her elbows on the floor.

"ow." She smiles at the mouldy ceiling, but she gets up when,she hears the news network go on the radio.

She walks towards it as she carries her board to the corner.

 **"All Gotham citizens must stay on high alert. The Joker has escaped Arkham once again. I repeat, The Joker has escaped."** The worried reporter says on the radio. **"We advice all citizens to stay indoors and away from the streets. The GCPD is on the search already for this lunatic but for the time being, keep your doors locked and don't let your children out."**

Myth turns off the radio and looks at her watch, "sh*t!" 6:00. The sun is going down. Financial District or not, it's never, ever safe at night.

She runs and turns off the lights as she heads upstairs.

The sun is already down when she walks out. She runs down the sidewalk as the smell of cigarette smoke fills her nose and the sound of bottles breaking startles her.

She notices a police cruiser parrolling and the light shinning towards her. She gasps and moves towards an alley, Mitty watches as the cruiser pass by the alley she's standing in.

She sighs and her shoulders slack a little bit.

Then suddenly, she feels a heavy pressure on her shoulder, she spins around- she's about to scream when a hand quickly covers her face.

The last thing she sees and hears is, a "shsh" and a large smile flashes before she blacks out.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for all the typos.

Typing. Typing.

_Click- click_

"Oracle. Do you have his location."

"No. But im hacking into every security system as we speak."

"We have to find him!" Batman growls. "Before any more people die!!!"

"I know..."

Tim swears he could go crazy with all that typing.

The entrance opens which saves him from all that tension with his surrogate father.

"Master Bruce."

"I'm busy."

"The Young Mistress still hasn't come back from her afternoon stroll."

The typing abruptly stops.

"Did she tell you where she's going?" Tim asks with hint of worry in his voice.

Alfred shakes his head, "I'm afraid not."

"Tt. Gonzales is fine. If we'd have better luck, maybe she's dead."

That stunt Damian pulled gave him three glares coming from three different directions.

"I had specified that she'd come back before dark." Alfred says after a moment.

"Maybe she's-" Tim is interrupted by Oracle's voice over the line.

"Batman. Joker is sending a live video, I'm patching the video feed over to you. You might wanna see this..."

**\--50 miles outside of Gotham--**

It's f*cking dark. Who the hell turned off the lights?

I hear muffled screaming and crying.

Then footsteps.

And cackling.

Light.

The horrible blinding light. As my eyes adjust, I can just make out the figure of a man with a sickening grin.

Red lips, pale face, green hair and all.

As he throws the blind fold away, he cackles. "Look at you! The new little birdie at the estate! How is Brucie by the way?"

My yells are chocked down my throat by the disgusting gag in my mouth.

Aw, hell. It's The Joker.

That motherf*cking asshole cackles as he skips to a table.

I take a good look around whilst he's distracted.

It's realy dark, with one hanging dim lightbulb to light the place. No windows. The walls are bricked and mouldy. I can hear the squeaks of the rats, and it smells like sh*t.

I see dirty water running down.

Gross, the sewers.

Beside me are people, where the muffled screams are coming from. Seven hostages, including me. Two very young children, one teenager, and the rest are full grown men and women. Each of them with thier hands behind their back, their legs tied up and their mouths gagged.

All of them, all of their eyes- filled with horror and fear.

The Joker hums as he searches through the table, beside the table are wires and a satelire nd then the camera connected to the wires.

It's a large area, actually. But it's dark.

I can feel my heart pounding in my ears and my breathing shorten.

I'm afraid.

Although I don't like admitting fear, because it's weakness.

I am afraid.

But I don't rely on anyone to save me.

That's stupid.

Duh.

If I could get out of these restraints, maybe somehow, maybe by luck...I could over power The Joke- No. That's waaaay tooo stupid.

And useless. I'd just end up dead at an earlier hour.

I rub at the ropes on my hands, I clench my teeth on the gag. But I can already feel my writs rubbing raw at the ropes.

Soon, I can already feel the blood dripping down my wrists.

If I coud get out of this...no...I can't...I don't know how!

I keep rubbing my wrists in frustration.

Joker tuns around as he puts a gun in his pocket and walks to me with that grin still plastered across his face.

"Now stop that little kiddie. You'll hurt yourself before the show starts!" He puts his hand on my cheeks and squeezes my face together as he pulls my head up.

My eyes widen as my heart pounds against my chest so much harder as my breath quickens.

I want to scream out for him to let go. But it would be absolutely useless.

He examines my face and puts his other hand on his chin. He moves my face from left to right. Then his wild green eyes seep into my brown ones. He chews at the inside of his cheeks.

"Hmmm...good enough..." He mutters. Then he grins and throws my head down. The back of my head hits the cement with a thud.

"Okay! Ladies and gentemen, boys and girls! Let's get this party started!" He giggles and moves the camera to face us hostages.

He smiles at me wistfully, "and I'll save the best for last..."

He turns it on. How he gets any signal even with the satelite, I have no idea.

"GOOOOOD EVENING GOTHAMITES! IT'S ME! YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW HOST. THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS, I'M BACK!! TODAY WE'RE GONNA PLAY A LITTLE GAME! HEHEHE!" He moves the camera torwards us and he grabs the hair of the woman.

She screams and squirms. Joker removes the gag, "Hello Lady, now please tell is your name!" He grins.

"E-elizabeth Perkins."

"Okay Eli! Why should I keep you alive?"

"B-because I have two children and a husband!"

_Bam!_

The bullet goes right through her read. "Wrong answer!"

I can hear the little children screaming and crying.

My wrists rub harder agaist the ropes as I watch the body go limp on the floor. A puddle of blood forms just below the body.

"Your turn! Name please?"

"M-Mason..."

"And why should I keep you alive?"

"B-bec-cause...I-I...I-"

_BAM!_

Another dead body.

"Too slow!"

I can feel myself trembling and my eyes widening. I want to look away but my eyes are glued to the dead bodies.

He grabs the head of a child.

I begin to shake even more.

"How about you-"

"WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!! I WANT MY MOOOMYYYYY!!! WAAAH!!!!"

He places the barrel of the gun in the child's mouth and shoots.

_BAM!_

I watch as the bullet passes in the boy's mouth and cracks his head. Flecks of blood flying through the air and painting my cheeck.

I feel my breath stop.

The mad an rubs his ear his pinky, "now that was noisy."

He moves onto the next man...

_BAM!_

Then the next one...

_BAM!_

Then the very last child.

I can feel tears well up at the side of my eyes.

She sobs..."C-Carrie..." the little ginger wimpers.

_BAM!_

I watch as her skull breaks and blood splatters on the walls and mixes with the water.

Thick red blood spreading, and I can feel my bare feet already wet.

He cackles and cackles, enjoying every drop of blood spilled.

I only stare at the spilled blood and the dead corpses.

I only stare...

"And then there was one..." I hear him giggle but I can't tear my eyes off of the blood dripping down the walls and moving towards the sewage water.

The warm wetness on my cheeks running down the side of my face.

I can feel something grab at my hair and lift me up. I tremble.

The Joker can no longer hold in his giggles as my nose scrunches in anger. "What about you...hehe...what's your name?"

My eyes are still wide reflecting what I just saw. Joker places his arm around my neck and his hand on my cheek. He removes the gag.

My body shakes, "y-you monster!" I cry, hardly a wimper- my pride draining out of my heart.

His smile turns into a bored one, "yes yes, but could please give me your name. And please do face the audience." He pulls my hair to face the camera.

"F-f*ck off!" I try to growl but my lips are still trembling.

"Hehe. Okay, Miss, F*ck off. Why should I keep you alive?"

I glare at the monster, "I'll kill you..." I growl lowly. "I'LL KILL YOU! YOU BASTARD!!!

He slaps my face, and stands up as I fall face flat to the floor with a grunt.

I can feel the blood on the floor smudging all over my face and hair. "Now now, my sweet little girl. Its not nice to kill people."

He giggles, "but then again...who am I to talk..." He laughs and turns to the camera.

"Well that's all for today folks! I'm afraid little miss F*ck off here will be for a next episode. Stay tuned folks! Oh, and Batsy...ya think you could save this one?" He laughs and shoots the camera.

**\--CRIME ALLEY, APARTMENT B02--**

I watch as the TV screen goes black. I throw the remote at it and the remote shatters.

I can no longer control my breathing.

The Joker.

That psychopath!!

I don't understand why Bruce just won't end him! After all those lives he's taken!

And her. Gonzales. Bruce adopts a new kid, the least he could do is take care of her!

That's it! I'm tired of this horse sh*t! It ends tonight! All of it!

I thow on my leather jacket and load ammos into my favorite pistols. I put them in their holsters.

I'm going to put a bullet in his mouth and it'll all be over! I don't give a damn about Batman!

I run my hand through my matted hair and put on my helmet.

**\--BREAK LINE--**

My eyes narrow as the video feed goes black and Oracle's face pops up. "I'll have a fix on his location in a few minutes."

Her face is grim under her glasses.

"That's too long."

"Robin."

"Nothing. I've searched through the East End." He says over the comm.

"We have to find him before Hood does." I continue typing.

"Yes, Todd is probably seaching for that bastard as well."

"I have their location. Sewage area, 50 miles outside of Gotham."

My teeth clench. Joker has thought this through. He's gotten 50 miles away within the two hours Myth has been missing.

50 miles will take 30 minutes even with the plane or the Batmobile.

I can't afford waste any time then.

I stand up, "send the coordinates to the Batplane. Robin, head back to base. I'm going to race against Hood."

**\--BREAK LINE--**

Joke pulls at my hair an raisses my head to stare at me. "Batsy should be on his way. But it will take some time...hmm...that's just enough time for me to educate ya!" His smile spreads.

He drags me towards the water, as if he's using my body to mop away all the blood.

"Now...I don't want to hear that again...no...killing!" Suddenly my head is dunk in the water and blood.

I scream and struggle. But his foot is on my back.

Then he lifts my head and looks at me as I cough out all the dirty water.

"No killing. Okay?" He smiles, "or it just won't work!"

Then he drags me away, I squirm and struggle. "Lemme go!" I yell.

"That's enough of education! Why don't we go to the playroom!!" The sick bastard chimes.

He opens the door into another room and throws me in. I can feel my nose crack as my face collides with the cement, I grunt and turn my body.

Then I notice that the floor is wet.

It's red.

A small shoe is soaked in the blood.

My eyes widen.

My brain screams in pain as The Joker cackles and he pulls my head up to look at his creation.

His sick creation...

My heart stops.

"Isn't it beautiful?" He whispers.

It's a large room and it's dark but there's just enough light for me to see.

There are of columns holding up the ceiling.

And on the columns are bodies chained and restrained by the hands and feet.

All of the bodies are stripped of any kind of clothing.

Some are teenagers. Others are women. Most are young children.

Some are decapitated. Some have bullet wounds. Some don't have faces. Others have opened stomachs with the organs showing. All of them have drawings on their chest or stomach carved with a knife.

Blood on the walls.

Blood on the floor.

Detached heads roll on the ground, the eyes are gone, the faces maked with red grins.

Drawings on the walls of happy faces with blood.

Piles of bodies on the cold cement, all with forced grins and blood dripping down their stripped bodies.

"isn't it?" Joker asks as he tugs at my hair.

I tremble. My lips quiver. My eyes are wide with tears. I can feel the bile churning in my stomach as my heart pound and the tip of my fingers freeze.

I watch as the bugs, the worms, the spiders and the rats nibble at the bodies on the floor.

The worms and ants begind to devour the bodies on the comlumns.

I can't breathe.

I can't move.

"I made it myself! I should be an artist!" He lets go of my head and my body collapses on the floor with a thud and my cloathes soak in the river of blood.

I stare at the tiny shoe right in front of me with wide eyes.

"Hmmm...what should I use on you?" He ponders.

"Oooh, I know!"

He walks away for a moment as I lay here in frozen shock.

Then he comes back, "ya know I've played this game only once before 'cuz it ain't really my thing...but, eh...let's try something new for someone special now shall we?" He giggles and drags me somewhere else.

I don't know anymore what's going on...I can hardly hear him. All I can hear are my mental screams.

I'm lifted up.

And thrown down.

Into a hole.

Of worms.

And bugs.

And all kinds of parasites and pests.

I scream and cry, tears rolling down my cheeks...

As the bugs invade my body.

Crawling all over my skin.

Biting at my flesh.

Slipping in my ears.

Climbing all over my face.

Chewing at the back of my neck.

"HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" I scream and cry for help, and all The Joker does is stand on the edge of the hole- doubles over, and laughs.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" I cry.

**\--BREAK LINE--**

"What!"

"You heard me, Drake."

"Why would he face him alone!?"

"Master Drake, please. He doesn't want you to get hurt."

"But the last time, it was him, Hood and The Joker alone. It didn't end well."

"Tt. Father can handle it."

I roll my eyes.

"I'm more concerned for Miss Myth's safety."

Silence and tension.

Then Damian breaks it, "it is possible that Father is too late. Hopefully."

I slap him at the back of his head, "don't say that!"

But knowing The Joker...we probably already are.

It's possible that she's not dead on the outside...but she could be on the inside.

**\--BREAK LINE--**

I don't know how long...

H-how long I've been here.

But I eventually stopped c-crying and sc-screaming.

...and f-fighting back.

I f-found o-out that it's no use.

Th-the worms don't hear me.

All I c-can hear are the squeaks and the squeals of the parasites fighting over my body with greed.

I look at The Joker who glances at his immaginary watch, "hmm...he's fifteen minutes late...this is getting boring."

He pulls out somekind of grappling gun and shoots down at me. "See! I have my own toys too!"

The sharp end goes right through my shoulder.

I don't make a sound.

I can still feel the pests crawling on me and inside my skin. Entering my body and sucking at my blood from my insides.

He pulls me on the edge of the cliff.

I double over and cough out those blood sucking insects along with my own blood.

I wipe my mouth and fall on my back. "WOAH kiddo, those things work fast...left you there any longer, ya woulda been dead!" He smiles as if he's proud of something.

I breathe in anger. I feel the bugs inside my skin suddenly crawl around excitedly. I grunt.

"W-why?" I manage through the sound of the parasites squealing in my ears.

"Hmm...?"

"W-why would y-you do th-that?" I point to the columns with the bodies without looking up from the ground.

He grins and shrugs, "I was bored."

He walks towards a decapitated head and picks it up. It's the head of a man without eyes. "But this one. I tried to prove to him that it just takes one bad day to turn a man crazy. Didn't believe me. So I killed him. AHAHAHA!" He throws the head behind him like it was a basket ball.

"But you believe me, don't ya. Kiddo?"

I cough but I don't answer.

"Well? Do ya!?" He hovers over to me.

I dont answer.

"ANSWER ME WHEN I'M ASKING YOU A QUESTION"

He kicks me in the stomach causing me to cough out more worms and blood.

He kicks my head as hard as he can which causes the whole world to spin.

He grabs my head and slams it into the floor dozens of times causing a concussion.

My head begins to pound uncontrollably.

The world begins to haze.

And dark spots dances around my eyesight.

My ears begin to ring.

Then I hear yelling, and gun shots, and footsteps.

I see fire. Everything is on fire as I am lifted up. Fire everywhere.

Fire all over the place.

No! Not again!

But I can't do anything. I can't move to get away from the fire.

My eyes roll towards the fire, the dead bodies burning, the sewer's probably about to explode.

As the person who's carrying me runs, I suddenly feel the cool night air blow at my face.

The pain of the worms devouring me inside lulls me to sleep.

Although, I like life- it's awesome.

But life can be a bitch sometimes.


	10. Chapter 10

Batman had eventually got to the site.

**BOOM!**

But when he got there.

_It was too late._

The same thing happened a whie ago.

The Joker had escaped.

There was fire everywhere.

But this time...

This time he didn't find the body of a child.

**\--BREAK LINE--**

At first, when she had opened her eyes. It was too bright. The world was an absolute haze.

She felt blood dripping down her head and her face. She felt the burns tingling at her body.

She heard the words, "hold on Kid."

**\--BREAK LINE--**

It was blurry. She was burning and coughing. Her eyes stung as she gasped for air, but all she inhaled was smoke.

She ran around. Searching, and keeping her hand on the walls.

Then she was lead to a room.

There, sitting at the wooden round table, was a man. He was unmoving. His hand fell limp at his side as a blood dripped down his fingers. His head was missing.

She held her screams.

Then she kept moving.

Until she reached a bedroom.

Even if smoke clouded the room.

She saw two beds.

Both beds, soaked with red.

And two small bodies sprawled ontop of the beds.

Their faces...

Eyes wide, pupils dilated.

Skin absolutely pale.

And their bodies were crushed and bloodied. Bones sticking out in odd directions, flesh completely teared. As if they were grinded.

But their heads was the only part that was not crushed.

Because it had a forced smile.

Then. Darkness.

But the nightmare's not over.

The house was empty.

No one was home.

Then stupidly, she walked into the room that radiated the stench of blood.

She opened the closet. A woman fell out. A woman who seemed to have her skin burned off. Her chest hardly rising and falling.

But the child who he held onto the body shook.

**\--BREAK LINE--**

The pain awoke her.

Her eyes shot opened.

And she yelled for help.

But like the many times before...no one came.

She was chained to a bed, but she pulled at the retrains.

It was a dark room, light hardly illuminating. There was that smell of antiseptic.

Her vision was swirling. The drugs pumping in her vains desperately tried to take her back into the blackening slunber.

But the pain kept her awake.

And the disgusting feeling of bugs crawling out of her body.

She yelped and coughed out blood. And worms crawled out of her nose, ears, and mouth.

She could even feel squirming out of the corners of her eyes.

The pain was everywhere. She could feel her blood pumping as the creatures exited her body.

Her eyes shot around thee dark and empty room, searching for someone- something to distract her. Anyone to help her.

But there is nothing but pitch blackness surrounding her.

Then suddenly a tall female figure looms over her, holding up a needle.

Before she has time to scream, she encounters blackness once again, she notices her pale face reflecting on clear glasses, and the flowing of auburn hair before the drugs forcefully pull her back into her quiet slumber once again.

**\--BREAK LINE--**

She wakes up once more.

The pain is gone. But the pounding of her head is still there. She is on a bed- but different one. A hard and squeaky bed.

She lifts her hand to rub her face, and she notices the bandages on her head. Then her eyes open, and she sees clearly for the first time in what seemed like days.She pulls off the blanket and sits up.

_Wait- a blanket?_

She looks around.

She is in a small room, a television set resting ontop of q cabinet right in front of the narrow bed she sitting on. There is a closet just to her right by the an opened door that seems to lead to the bathroom. A curtained window hovers just above the bed. Many paces away from the closet, is what seems to be the exit of the room.

This is obviously not the room she was designated with at the manor. So who's room is this?

She scoots to the edge of the bed and nearly falls on her face as the world spins. But she focuses her eyes on the door knob.

_All I need to do is twist it and I can find out where the hell I am_.

She stumbles towards the door and places her hand on the knob. But as she twists it, the knob stops itself.

_Dammit._

_Well duh. What stupid kidnapper would leave the door wide open?_

But just as she is about to let go, the door sings open and pushes her back and she falls on the floor. A tall figure in a leather jacket swings the door open and looks down at her. She looks up at him with a mixture of fear and confusion. She assumes that he is one of The Joker's goons. Or maybe that mad man himself.

The man bends down closer to her. Mitty backs away, closes her eyes and turns her head as her lips quiver waiting for a harsh hand to grab her.

But the man touches her bandaged head, he gently removes the bandages and replaces it with new ones. She opens her eyes and comes face to face with a red helmet. Her eyes widen. "You're The Red Hood!" She yelps.

Jason sighs and pulls up the shocked little girl by her forearms.

_She's so damn tiny_.

Well it's true. Jason is 6'4, while Mitty is roughly 4'10.

The girl has only slightly hit the stage of puberty at 12 years old, but she only reaches until Jason's chest, so she has to raise her head to look up at him.

She looks up at Jason Peter Todd with her big brown eyes filling with a mixture of emotions as her jaw drops.

She takes a step back, "er...Mister uh, Hood...um...eh...what's going on?" She mutters shyly as she gazes at her bare feet.

"You are staying here from now on." Mitty almost winces at the sheer command in Red Hood's voice. Her eyes gaze up at him. But not with fear but confusion, "like...as a hostge?"

Hood stays silent.

Mitty blinks awkawardly, "uh..."

_How do I react to my favorite anti-hero of all time kidnapping me? Good? Or bad? Uh...should I squeal in a fangirl manner? Or should I scream in a hostage manner?_

"So then...what happened to The Joker?" Hood stares down at her, "he got a way. But he won't be a bother. For now anyways." She nods, slowly processing it all, "okay. Okay...cool. So then...you saved me?" He nods slightly. "Wow. Well uh, thanks. But...then...why are you keeping me here?"

_Is it an anti-hero code that once you rescue someone. You don't return them to their family and you just keep them? WOAH...anti-heroes are messed up. Heh, like The Punisher._

"I don't need to answer that. You are my hostage."

She nods, "cool...okay..." then she cocks her head, "so uh, what's gonna happen next? Aren't you gonna...like...torture me or something? Or...are you gonna sell my organs or whatever...or are you gonna ransom me."

"No..."

"Well. A ransom would be useless though, Bruce Wayne wouldn't- wait...did you just say no?"

"Yes."

She sits on the bed, all evidence of her dizziness gone.

Then she looks at him, "so just to clear things out. I'm your prisoner, right?" He nods and closes the door, "I'll be back." The door locks with a click.

_Okay I'm duper confused. These kind of things only happen in a book. The main character gets kidnapped by someone who doesn't wanna hurt her. And then somekind of mutual bonding forms._

Then her big brown eyes widen and she jumps out of the bed.

"HOLY SHIT I WAS JUST KIDNAPPED!!! BY THE RED HOOD!!!"

**\--BAT CAVE--**

Bruce has been typing on the computer all night- okay maybe half the night. But he has been non stop. The tracker he planted in Mitty has stopped working. There are no security cameras with her on it. So he can't find her location.

She couldn't be dead because in this world, no one is ever dead without a body.

But Batman knows who could have taken her. Either The Joker or The Red Hood. He absolutely dreads that one of them is keeping her somewhere. But Batman stopped looking for Mitty, and instead concentrated more on looking for The Joker with the thought of, _if I find Joker, less people can die._ But unaware- he's making Mitty wait- if The Joker still has her, than she's already dead.

But the top priority is Joker.

**Incoming message**.

"Bruce." The all too familiar voice echoes throughout the cave walls.

"I can somewhat respect the decision to adopt another kid after all the kids who's grown up under you ended up fucked up. But I can still respect that." The sarcasm is evident in the ex-Robin's voice. "But what was pretty damn stupid was letting The Joker take her and traumatize her. Ya know, I'm sure that you don't even care." That same voice, so filled with hatred and anger, "I just called to remind you. That your making the same fucking mistakes again and being a jackass about it. So, I took her. To keep the kid from the lights of you."

The message ended.

It was dark.

And the voice left Bruce alone, staring at the screen, devoid of any emotion- detached as usual.

He knows how useless it would be to track down where the message came from because he knows Jason well enough that he'll just mislead Bruce to another location.

**\--BREAK LINE--**

_What the hell am I thinking!? I can't keep a kid here! And for what...my own personal demons._

Jason sat on the couch- his new bed, since his bedroom was currently occupied.

_What am I gonna do? Raise her and train her to be my sidekick? Pull her into my messed up life?_

The helmet is on the coffee table, the white eyeslits staring hollowly at him.

_What's she gonna call herself? Purple Hood? Blue Hood? Ha. What a joke._

He ponders in silence while mentally pacing.

_But I can't bring her back to the manor and let her grow up under an emotionally detached man. She'll end up...like me. Or worse, like Batman. She was obviously a normal kid before all this sh*t, probably her first time going through pain. Unlike everyone else- she's weak. If I leave her under Bruce. One or more people will die._

He rationalizes. Everyone in the bat family had a troubled past before meeting Bruce. But Jason believed that Myth Gonzales had the past of an everyday girl. Dick was a circus freak, Jason was a street kid, Tim was a rejected pint size genius, Damian's an assassin. They all had their great pasts, that's why they all survived- but Myth...seemed like a completely innocent toddler compared to them.

Well...she seemed like one anyways.

**\--BREAK LINE--**

Mitty paces around the room.

_I can't believe I'm the Red Hood's prisoner! He's my hero/anti-hero! But...then again...he captured me...but is it or is it not against my will? Idk. Hood doesn't seem like the kind of person to hurt kids._

"I'm going to escape!" She points at the ceiling with a determined look in her face. She opens the drawers and finds clothes for men, she opens the closet and finds nothing useful. She looks out the window and finds out that she's too high up to jump.

"Okay so, apartment. And from the looks of it, this is Crime Alley." She sits down, "if I could just escape...there's no way I can overpower him. There are no weapons here...I ain't just waiting for someone to rescue me!" She sighs and looks out the window as she kneels from the bed. "Well it's not too high. But if I jump down, I'd break my legs...and then I won't be able to run so that would be stupid." She mutters to herself.

The door suddenly flies open once more. Mitty turns around to see Red Hood bringing in a plate of food. He shoves the food to her, Mitty just looks at the eyelits of the helmet. Then she sits on the floor, and places the food on her lap. She takes the spoon and forks with shaking hands, she drops them by accident and takes a deep breath and shakes her hands, then she tries again- but this time, more successful.

_Guess, I'm still...anxious...aftershocks..._

"Are you gonna wear the helmet every time you come in here?" She starts a conversation still trying to stop her hands from shaking.

"Well, yeah..." Hood says.

"Ya know, I get why your name's Red Hood. But that helmet is obviously not a hood."

"Yeah well deal with it." Hood says with an annoyed tone.

"Just saying. Jeez. But it's better than a bucket head the original used to wear." Although her breath is heavy, and she could feel like breaking down right now- she keeps going on. Jason raises an eyebrow under the helmet, reluctantly, he sits down in front of her on the floor. "You're a little too young to know about that, dont'cha think?"

Well the first Red Hood, was years ago- just a few years after Jason was born and a few months after Bruce became Batman. And considering all that has happened over the past years, obviously- that was a long time ago.

She shrugs, "yeah. But I like to keep tabs on past events."

"Yeah, like what?"

"Like how the flying Graysons had died leaving the youngest one orphaned. Or the legend about Solomon Grundy- who's a zombie dude now in our world. Or how it turns out that Paradise Island exists and Wonder Woman lives there. And how Flash is a meta human and there are meta humans all over our planet and Braniac wants to- "

"Okay, okay, Kid. I get it."

She shrugs, "but all of that is just common knowledge on the newspapers."

"For an adult like me. But not a kid like you." She looks at him.

"How old do you think I am?!"

"I don't know...10?"

"I'm 12 years old!" She says, then she looks back down at her food. "I've been following the hero's activities since I was 5. Especially Batman and the rest of his clan. I would always listen to my Mom when she talked to the maids about the news. Other kids would play outside, I stayed inside and well...I read the newspapers, checked out articles. Tried to figure out their identities, ya know. But I was never smart enough to figure it out." Although, she never mentions her hunches when she was younger. Hood stays silent for a whilst. "Why did you wanna figure out their identities?"

She shrugs, "they all inspired me. They're amazing people...I...wanted to be like them. Still do."

"You know this hero business ain't fun kid. Trust me."

"I know." She puts the utensils down ontop of the empty plate. Then she looks right into the white eyelits intensely as if she could see Jason's green eyes. "But _you_ heroes save people. A lot of innocent lives. I'm just a normal kid without training or super powers, less than a tiny speck on this planet. Even if I magically fall into a vat of toxic waste or get hit by a meteor, I wouldn't be able to save everyone. But if I could save just one innocent life before I die. Then that would be enough."

She looks down, "naive, I know."

"Yeah kid, that's real naive. But you keep dreamin'." He scoffs and pats her head.

"God, you sound like my dad!" She laughs. Then they sit on the floor in silence as police sirens pass by the apartment building.

"You know Mister Hood...I don't think your as bad as they say you are." She smiles at the man with the emotionless red helmet.

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean...everyone says your somekind of criminal. A crime lord even. Raging war on Black Mask and everythin'. That Batman should throw you in Arkham. But...I don't think so." Jason's face darkens. "Kid. I've done things...my hands are tainted with way too much red. Don't go thinkin' I'm not all that bad."

"Why not? Sure your hands are tainted. But my guess is, you've spilled blood not just for the fun of it, or greed. But it's to protect people, isn't it?"

Jason stays silent, with nothing to say.

"I get what your doing...you know. With the whole 'becoming a crime lord' thing. Your trying to control crime, because you can't stop it. You believe...that you have to kill half the world, to save the other half."

At a young age. This kid... _gets_ his morals...

_Why? How could a normal everyday kid with no experience with pain whatsoever, possibly understand?_

"No...I don't think your all that bad." She smiles slightly.

Jason frowns under his helmet. He picks up the plate and stands up, "I'm going out Kid. There's still a luntic on the lose, you should get back to sleep and don't even think about escaping." He walks towards the switch and turns it off. He opens the door and turns around to spare her one last glance.

The young face simply stared at him with a frown as she sat there.

Then he shut the door and locked it from the outside.

_She isn't that bad...no she isn't._


	12. Chapter 12

Comissioner Gordon opens the door and Batman- along with Robin walk in.

It's an empty and dim tiny room with fading wallpaper and a table with bloodied tools sitting ontop of it.

There is nothing but a wooden chair in the center of the room with unseen speckles of blood.

But there is an inhumaine sense of forebrooding in the entire room...

_What with nothing but the empty face of The Joker pinned to the wall and all._

Batman can still hear his laughter.

The eyes holes are empty and the mouth was still taking the form of a grin and the bleeched skin already beginning to sog as the needles pulled at the face to keep it pinned to the wall.

"Where is he?"

"We believe him to be dead, Batman."

**\--BREAKLINE--**

"Officer Grayson?"

"Is it true? Is he really dead?"

_Or has he gone missing once again?_

What are you planning, Joker?

"Yeah, it was all over the news in Gotham, even here in Bludhaven. You should've known by now."

**\--BREAKLINE--**

**_CLOWN PRINCE OF GOTHAM. Dead._ **

**_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHOHOHOHOHO!!!_ **

**\--BREAKLINE--**

_I can almost believe it...I can almost believe that that Mad Man is finally, truly dead..._

**_Almost_ ** _._

_But I know that me eyes decieve me._

_Joker isn't dead._

_That psychopath cannot die._

_Because I know._

_That I'd have to die before he does._

_That evidence isn't real..._

_He's out there..._

_Somewhere..._

_But I just...can't_ **_find_ ** _him._

_No. I'm not letting him have the last laugh. He's planning something...he isn't dead._

_He_ **_can't_ ** _be._

**\--BREAKLINE--**

_No...this isn't right..._

_He can't be..._

_He can't be dead..._

_No! He can't be!_

_He said he wouldn't leave me!_

_No! Mista J can't be dead!_

_I'll believe it when I see it!_

**_"Don't ya love me, puddin?"_ **

**_"What do you mean you have a crush on The Joker, Harleen Quinzel!?!?!"_ **

**_"I had a dream, Harley...a dream that everyone in this world was smiling...everyone is laughing...and no one will ever stop laughing..."_ **

"You. Will be my new team."

" **The Suicide Squad."**


	13. Chapter 13

"Father, I'm coming with you."

"No."

"But Father-"

"I said no! You are staying as well, Tim."

"But Bruce! This is Harley Quinn we're talking about-"

"You and I both know that I can handle her myself."

"But-"

"That's enough! Both of you are staying here! I'm going alone."

The BatMobile drives away, leaving Tim and Damian in the dark.

Tim sighs and Damian crosses his arms.

"I absolutely hate this..."

Tim turns to Damian, "I hate it just as much as you do, Demon." He mutters.

Damian eyes Tim, "I doubt that. You are not the one who is forced to stay here alone every night."

"Hey, I know what it's like."

"No you don't. You and Father are out there, kicking ass while I'm stuck here on monitor duty, and that's only sometimes!"

"Hey. It's not my fault you can't control your anger. Maybe Bruce would let you go out at night if you knew how these things work. Maybe if you didn't kill."

"I was trained as an assassin, Drake. What do you expect? Tt. At least I'm not weak like you."

Tim clenches his fists and scrunches his nose, "why is it that we can't be left alone, for once, without fighting?"

The younger of the two boys scoffs, "it is obviously because you are absolutely incompetent and idiotic to ever hold a conversation with, Drake."

Tim Drake glares at the younger version of his surrogate father, "what is it that you have against me anyways!? The first time you met me, you tried to kill me! Why?! Why are you so against me? What did I ever do to you?"

Silence.

Damian's eye twitches as he grips his arm with his hand. "Maybe. It's because you are but a nuisance. Drake. I am Father's true son- he doesn't need you anymore not that I'm here. I should be the one standing beside Father, not you." Damian spits, still glaring daggers that bores a hole in Tim's chest.

They stand there.

Damian is almost as tall as Tim. In a few years, Damian will pass Tim's height and maybe even be as tall as his Father.

Tim's eyes are unseen with his tousled bangs touching his eyes already, and his face darkens. His shoulders are slacked but his fists are clenched. "Bruce has been like a father to me too, you know. In a way, he's like my dad. I just wish you and I could be brothers." Tim says emotionless as he turns his back to the younger boy and walks away.

**\--BREAKLINE--**

Deadshot, King Shark, Killer Frost, Black Spider and Captain Boomerang.

Deadshot shoots every single officer right between the eyes while dodging all the bullets coming his way. King Shark rips a GCPD member in half and sinks his teeth in another man's shoulder. Killer Frost outstretched her arms and turns every single man shooting at her into solid ice while Black spider expertly shoots and maims alongside Dead shot and Captain Boomerang who has his boomerangs slice the heads of ever man in a police outfit.

"I'm going in after her!" Deadshot yells through clenched teeth still holding up his arm.

"That crazy ass b*tch." Black spider mumbles as he nods and covers Floyd's back.

Deadshot slips his way inside the facility and quietly walks down the dark, damp halls hardly making a footstep.

Their first mission on the field, and it turns into a disaster. Waller will have their heads...or at least...blow it up. Their mission was to retrieve Harley and force her to join the Squad but ever since The Joker's abrupt death- Harley has gone on a rampage, and now she's here, in this GCPD facility- where The Joker's face was taken and kept as evidence.

And now, here he is, on Harley's tracks. With the rest of the team outside having his back. They would have gotten inside undetected if it weren't for King Shark and Captain Boomerang.

The mercenary takes a turn and finds two dead bodies on the ground on top of each other, both with bullet wounds right in their chests, exactly at the hearts- they seemed to be guarding this room.

He makes his way inside the dark, dark room- and the box where the skinned off face is supposed to be is empty.

"What the hell is taking him so long!?" Captain Boomerang yells out through the loud noises of wizzing bullets, utter destruction and the deaths of the many officers.

"Don't know, but I'm just enjoying my kills." Killer Frost says with slight amusement.

Captain Boomerang is about to throw another one of his weapons when something hits his hand with a clank and he growls out in pain as blood drips down form his wrist to middle finger.

"I was wondering when he'd be here." Black Spider growls lowly.

And suddenly, a tank- like vehicle is headed towards them.

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

Floyd Lawton wakes up with a groan. He's tied to a chair with his hands behind his back and his ankles are tied to the legs of the chair. He grunts trying to find a way out, but all his weapons were taken away.

It's dark all around him, but the light is only above him- and only him.

"HARLEEEY!!!" He growls out yelling at the darkness.

A high pitched laugh echoes from the darkness all around him. "What do you want?" But the darkness doesn't cease.

Then a woman steps out of the darkness. A woman in the sluttiest outfit you would ever see. A flashy blue and red tube with absolutely short shorts and boots that are reaching her thighs. She has white cape and a popping collar connected to the cape. Her skin is pale and half of her hair is blue and the other half is red matching her clothes perfectly.

She steps into the light.

Floyd looks at her anger- stricken face and the skinned off face in her hand.

She slaps the bloody face ontop Deadshot's own face. "What the hell!?" The dry blood smudges on his face.

"WHY!?!?" Harley yells.

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE!??!?!?" She screams.

"Batman." Commissioner Gordon walks up to the man in a bat suit as he holds onto his bloodied side. "Are you-"

"Fine. Gordon." The Dark Knight wipes the blood off of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Take them in for questioning." Batman gestures to the trucks carrying the unconscious team.

"Have some men secure the perimeter, make sure no one gets in. Or out."

"Are you sure you can face Harley-"

But Batman starts walking away from Gordon and towards the open doors of the facility.

Gordon sighs.

"Uhnn..."

She slaps him, tears already streaming down her face.

"YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T!"

"Woman! I-"

But Floyd's words are stopped by the a woman's cold lips pressed on his.

Harley smudges her lips on The Joker's skin and on Deadshot's mouth. She licks at the blood and savors it as if it was her favorite desert. She wraps her legs on Deadshot's waist and leans on his body as she feels The Joker's grin on her own lips.

Then a batarang was thrown from behind her, but the woman dodges it as she turns around to face The Batman with an enraged look.

Batman and Harley Quinn stands seven paces away from each other in the room as Batman leans on the doorway with blood squirting out of the wound on his abdomen.

Harley clenches her fists as her face scrunches up in anger.

She charges at him as Deadshot's struggles to get out of his restrains.

They fight.

Harley punches but Batman takes a step back and blocks with his arm. She throws numerous blows but Batman keeps on blocking and dodging. Finally, Batman decides to take the opening and punches her in the stomach, she steps back and grunts as he grabs her face and head butts her.

Soon, the fight is taken in the hallway, outside the room.

He punches her but she dodges and she flips up and wraps her legs around Batman's legs, leans back and pulls him down, flipping- and landing perfectly as Batman falls on his back but stands up.

Harley stands in front of the man who regains his composure and readies his stance.

The woman clenches her fists, "YOU!" She punches at him but he dodges, "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO KILLED HIM!!" She kicks Batman and he slides backwards but stays standing.

"YOU KILLED MY PUDDIN'!!!" She growls as she goes for another punch but Batman moves his head to the side and she misses.

The lights flicker dangerously as they fight and grunt with each hit.

Harley knees Batman in the abdomen where the wound is and the man doubles over to stop the blood. She kicks him in the face and he falls back.

 _Stupid_.

She knees his jaw and Batman falls on the floor. "YOU KILLED HIM!!" Her eyes are already dark and red.

"No Harley." Batman stakes this chance to swipe his leg on the ground making Harley tip off balance and fall back with a high pitched grunt.

Batman is already on his feet. Harley turns and pushes herself up, but Batman elbows her right in the shoulder and punches her nose. He kicks her in the diaphragm and elbows her trachea hard.

She stumbles back, her tears already dry. "I didn't kill The Joker. You know that." He kicks her in the stomach again and this time she falls to the ground on her hands and knees. "The Dollmaker skinned off The Joker's face." Batman says with his usual monotone voice holding onto his bleeding side.

"The Joker isn't dead. You know that. Don't you Harley." He walks up to her as the woman lets the tears roll, "he's missing. But for once...he didn't tell you where he's going."

Batman swings his leg and it connects with Harley's head. She collapses on the ground.

He walks past her and back into the cramped up room.

But the seat is empty.

Batman narrows his eyes at the empty room and turns back to Harley. He limps towards her and places his finger on his com to call Gordon.

**\--24 Hours Later--**

_Buzzbuzz buzzbuzz_

"What?"

"Red Hood."

"Oh hey Blackie."

"Listen to me you motherf*cking son of a b*tch-"

"Let me guess. You looking for a crate of _venom_. Yeah, I have it." Jason looks down at the crate full of the precious drug that has the capability of giving an average human being an unatural amount of stregnth.

"So how much is Bane gonna pay ya?"

"You asshole! Do you have any idea how much thay cost me!? You f*cker! I'll have your head mounted on my wall!!!"

"Mhmmm...I look forward to that Blackie." I hang up and throw my phone on the couch.

I grab the bottle of beer on the table and glance at the TV as I take a gulp.

Joker's _dead_.

But I know that it's too good to be true.

Joker being dead is just a cover story.

No. Joker doesn't die. God, I wouldn't be surprised if that f*cktard was immortal.

But the clown hasn't show his face for the past week since he flashed his face on every TV to scar every kid watching TV that time.

That's unlike him.

He's too notchalant to _not_ show his face.

Besides. The only people that have a right to kill him is either _me_ or _Batman._

I take a last gulp and turn the TV off. I glance at my watch to read 5:00. How many more minutes until sun goes down.

I stumble towards the kitchen feeling slightly light headed. But my tolerance is pretty high and I only drank 2 bottles so it's fine.

I open a cupboard and heat up two bowls of preserved noodles and bring both bowls to the bed room.

"Hey." I push the door open to find the kid looking out the window again.

She crawls out of the bed and towards me. I place the food down on the floor, we both sit down in front of each other on the floor.

I watch as the kid ends her short prayer and picks up the utencils.

She still has the bandages, and there are obvious scars on her face.

But the scars in her eyes are much bigger.

The Joker did a number on her.

After the past few days, I figured she wasn't the average _princess_ I thought she was.

But she sure does act like there's nothing wrong in life.

Like she didn't just go through a scarring event a few days ago.

As if after half a day, her wounds simply closed just like that.

I can't imagine any one who is human enough to just get over somethin' like that after half a day and act like nothing ever happened. Like no one was killed in front of her.

She looks up at me and smirks slightly, "hey, uh, how are you gonna eat with your helmet on?"

That snaps me out of my thoughts. "Oh yeah." I remove the helmet revealing my red domino mask.

"Do you only have preserved food?"

"Hey, at least you're eating sonethin' kid."

"Yeah, I know. But since i got here, looks like all you've got is preheated stuff. Do you even know how to cook?"

"...basics."

"Ha! You can't cook!"

I roll my eyes, "like you can do any better."

"Are you kiddin' me? I've been cooking since I was 7!"

"Just eat your food kid."

After moments of her smiling down at her food, she frowns. "You smell like beer again..." she mumbles.

"Ya got a problem with it, Kid?"

She shakes her head and smiles again still looking down, "no. Just reminds me of someone."

"Yeah? Who?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Why the hell not?"

"'cause...he's dead now."

"Oh."


	14. Chapter 14

Alfred walked out of Damian's empty room after neatly fixing the young boy's bed and picking up the random pieces of paper on the floor. Titus lifted his head to watch his Master's grandfather walk into Tim's room.

Tim's room was always kept neat, all Alfred really needed to do is pick up the dirty laundry basket by the bathroom. After bringing down the dirty clothes into the laundry room, he went back up the stairs to enter Bruce's bed room and get everything fixed.

Everyone has been busy lately, Master Bruce and Tim on their search for The Joker and now that Harley Quinn along with Deadshot and his squad escaped before they could have been questioned.

Alfred stops.

When he passes the room of the young boy who once lived here, a boy who lightened up the days and removed the gray. A boy who's tongue lashed out like charcoals and who had eyes like green fire. He didn't realize that he was staring at the locked door for a whilst now. That is, until the old man shakes his head and sighs. He continues walking down the hallway and stops right in front of the Mistress's room and opens the door. As he sweeps the floor, he takes a good look around the room. The bed is neat and closed. The desk passes his standards and so does everything else.

But on the desk are newspapers, articles, papers, files, documents and pictures regarding the other life of the people that lives or lived under the manor.

An electronic used for playing music is placed on the desk right next to the stacks of papers and pictures.

Alfred sighs.

And he remembers...

He remembers how quiet the manor truly is.

How black and white the world is, with a small- odd gray patch at the corner of the room.

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

The morning wind immediately blows at her hair as she pushes the window up. She looks down at the 15feet space between this floor and the sidewalk.

Mitty gulps.

This may be her only chance to escape.

Red Hood has gone out since last night, and he hasn't come back ever since.

She doesn't know exactly why he's keeping her here, but she doesn't want to stay in this room for any longer- she can't help the feeling of confinement.

So she has to escape.

Even though she doesn't know where to go.

But how can she escape if her legs are broken? It would be useless to get down the building if she couldn't run or walk.

She whines in fear as she stares down at the empty sidewalk.

There's a ledge just below of the window good enough for to hang onto, and a little to left and below the ledge is another window, probably one of another apartment unit. If she could jump in the apartment unit and run out the main door of that unit then down the stairs of the building, then she'd be home free.

Life would be easier if she had a grappling gun though.

She takes a deep breath and inhales the smoke and dust of the Gotham wind and behinds to place her feet on the window ledge. She grips hold of the lock of the window as she gets out of the window. Mitty looks straight ahead-not wanting to look down. The girl begins to move her foot out if the window when she slips and falls. "Ah!" But she grabs hold of the ledge right below the window. Her body is now hanging and her weight in on her fingers. Her heart beats harder than before as sweat begins to bead her eyebrows. She holds in her screams and turns them into soft wines. Slowly, her fingers begin to slip.

"Awmanawmanawmanawman..." She chants quietly whispering to herself. Carefully, she swings her feet towards the window below her as the wind blows at her hair. "Ugh. Hair in my mouth."

"1...2..." She swings her feet harder, praying that her fingers will hold just long enough. "3!" She let's go and quickly grabs hold of the ledge of the second window. She pulls herself up the ledge and pushes up the window to open it. She climbs in through the bathroom window and lands on the bathtub. Mitty sighs, wiping off the sweat on her forehead.

Making sure that each step doesn't make a sound, the twelve year old opens the bathroom door to reveal a bedroom. She opens the door wider for her to slip through and tiptoes her way past the sleeping man and woman on the bed. The brown haired girl discreetly passes the room and towards the other door. She opens it, then quietly leaves the room, shutting the door behind her. Quickly, but quietly- she strides towards the main door and exits the room. Letting go of the breath she held, she ran down stairs, towards the lobby and out the door.

But she bumped into something- no someone. She fell back with a thud and looked up to see a hooded figure looking over her in the warm rising sun.

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

I fall on the floor and stare up at the hooded figure, I can't see his face because of the hood.

I feel tears drip down in my eyes as he throws me down on the floor inside the room and slams the door shut. I crawl towards the door, "you can't keep me here forever!" I yell scratching at the door and trying to unlock it, "let me out!" I bang on the door with my fists as hot tears stream down my face, "let me out!" I scream. "Let me out!!!" But the door doesn't budge and my hand slides to the floor as I sob quietly. What does this man want with me? Is he just going to keep me here forever? Why!? What did I ever do? He doesn't want me for ransom. He doesn't seem to wanna sell me to the black market. What is his reason to keep me here!? Why? I wanna get out of here! I don't wanna be in this room forever! If I stay here in the four corners of this room for any longer, I know I'll go mad!

I lean on the door and face the room as I stare wide eyed at the white walls.

It's dark now that the lights are off and the window is covered.

It's dark...dark...dark...

The walls are closing in....the walls are closing in...

They're going to crush me...suffocating me...

I'm in a box...I can't get out! Get me outta here!

It's dark...it's getting even darker...

The walls...

The room....

It's filling! Filling with worms!

No! Don't touch me! Don't touch me! Get away! NOOOO!

I try to crawl away from the bugs and silently scream but the room is filling up! No! no!

Get away!

I can feel them...crawling over me...the walls...they're still closing...it's so dark! No!!!!

I cry and cry....

NOOOO!!!

"P-please...somebody please get me out of here!!" I yell.

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

Jason throws the newspaper in the trash bin. The headline yelling, New kid at Wayne Estate, Missing! Jason sits down on the couch, he could still hear the kid yelling from the room and banging on the door. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.

_Maybe I shouldn't have been too harsh. But..._

Then the noise in the room suddenly stops as if the turn off switch was flicked.

His head turns towards the quiet door where the dead silence is coming from. He sits down on the couch and sighs once again.

_Bzzt bzzt_

His phone calls, he reaches for it and picks it up- once he sees the name on the call log, his eyelids lower. He slides the green button and presses the phone on his ear, "Golden Boy...now why in the hell would you call?" He answers with a sarcastic grin. "You know damn well why, Hood."

Ah, business. Of course.

"Nah, not really. Not 'till ya tell me."

Jason can practically hear Nightwing clench his teeth on the other line. "Where are you keeping her." He growls. Jason Todd can't help but smirk at the angered voice of his older 'brother.' "I thought you would've figured it out by now."

"What do you want with her anyways!? What could you possibly gain from kidnapping her? What did she ever do to you? It's not like she replaced you. It's not like she killed you-"

"You watch your mouth dickhead." He barks back with a little too much bite than he meant to, "you wanna know why I'm keeping her?" He starts, and he could hear the other man fall silent along with wind over the line, Jason knows where Nightwing is. On top a building.

"You and I both know that Bats is amazing at making mistakes with his kids. So, I'm making sure that this one turns out right." For a while Nightwing falls silent. Until a burst of laughter echoes on the other side of the call. "What? Your joking, right? You actually care about her? The big bad Red Hood cares about the little girl that he never even met."

Red Hood frowns and clutches the phone in his hand, "don't get chummy with me now, Circus Freak. I'm just doing this to prove something to good old Daddybats."

"Oh, yeah? And what is that?"

"How horrible a father he is."

"That...is. A terrible excuse."

Now, Jason scowls- annoyed by the smug voice on the other side of his phone. "I don't know why, Hood. But for some reason, you're keeping her there. And the reason you're giving me is a crappy one. Don't tell me that you actually care about her. What happened, huh? You didn't seem to care about Tim anymore after you tried to kill him."

"What. It's not like you care about her either."

"... ...bring her back, Hood. I may not know your location, but I know two people who do."

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

"Master Bruce. I do believe that you should be with the boys instead of cooped up in here." Alfred sets the mug of coffee down by the dashboard as Batman continues to type rapidly on the computer. "As of now, locating The Joker is top priority. Any other mission is irrelevant."

Alfred's mouth straightens into a thin line, and he suddenly looks- somehow- much older. "Bringing home the newest resident of this household as well as attempting to bring home Master Jason is less relevant than running around Gotham on a wild goose chase and ending up in dead ends." He says, rather sarcastically. But Bruce. As stubborn as ever, carries on with his search as he stands up and strides over to the infamous BatMobile. "If I don't find that mad man and take him down, then bringing home Myth...and Jason would be useless. And besides, I am confident that Tim and Damian can handle it."

The vehicle booms away as Alfred sighs and stares down at the untouched cup of coffee.

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

The door swings open all of a sudden and Mitty looks up, startled as she was woken up from her soft slumber by the corner of the room. The red helmet stares at her, blankly and silently. He carries a duffle bag right beside him as he walks towards the girl.

Mitty doesn't move.

But there is only one thing in her mind as she stares at the man hovering above her.

Silence... ...

...

... ... ....

The clanging of cuffs pulls her out of her hypnotic trance within herself. She watches carefully as Red hood ties the cuffs tightly around her wrists and keeps the key in the pocket of his cargo pants. He pulls her up and makes her stand by her forearms. "W- what's going on?" She stammers tiredly.

"Looks like they found you." Red Hood answers gruffly.

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

"Great. Batman won't be happy." Robin mumbles as he turns towards Damian who is in a black assassin suit and a hood over his head. "Tt. Typical Todd." He mutters as he glances at the bottles and bottles of beer, his nose scrunches because of the stench.

"Batman. They're not here."

"Type your report back at base." Tim nods and the com turns off.

He watches Damian walk in the dark bedroom.

Damian looks around and turns on the lights as he begins to examine the room. The bed is unmade, the closets are empty, there is hardly any trace that anyone slept here, aside from the tiny clothes in the hamper. Damian pulls it out and narrows his eyes almost like his father. "She was here." He drops the clothes back in the basket.

"Something tells me she was kept here for a long time." Tim notices the scraped on the side of the door from it being slammed.

Damian sighs and turns back to the older boy. "I don't understand why we need her back. Why does father even care? If you ask me, Todd can keep her."

Tim furrows his eyebrows, "I get that you don't particularly care. But it's not like Hood to kidnap someone. His M.O is always to shoot when he has the chance and then leave. I don't trust Hood, he could be planning something." He sighs, "whatever his reason is. It doesn't matter. Mitty's home is our home, and it's up to us to bring her back."

**A/N: Now that the plot is beginning, I am going to switch to past tense, and it will mostly be third person now.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Past tense is beginning from now on

For once, the fragile little girl had woken up without aching muscles and a spinning head. She looked around, it was different now. It was darker, and smaller. The bed was awfully hard, and there was no sound coming from it, this time.

She was transferred.

After Hood had brought her to the car, she fell a sleep almost immediately; tired from all the yelling and the sobbing out of fear.

She can stay in a locked room for a few days ignoring her fears, but she wouldn't last a week as the fears would get stronger. Mitty feared a lot of things, and being isolated against her own will is one of them. But the good thing was...she had at least calmed down.

She slid out of the mattress and crept towards the window just by the bed. She placed her fingers on the tiny ledge and peeped out like a child during the cool winter days, but instead of finding beautiful white sheets of snow- she saw darkness. The usual Gotham blackness at night; the sky was a mixture of blood red and black that seemed to stretch on for eternity, the moon covered by the dark clouds of dust, and as usual- there was no star in sight.

Even in the dark, it was noticeable that the ground wasn't cement, but wooden, and just past the wooden ground was the dark blue sea- so still and so quiet, yet aggressive with all the trash that lurks in it with the waves crashing into the wooden columns of the docks. She could see, that a boat ride away from her current location was the Gotham Bridge, all the vehicles passing by and shinning their head lights without a location to aim at.

Her eyes darted to the left of the bridge, which was connected to a series of buildings, where the harsh glare of the city lights bellowed, and she knew that if she squinted, she would see the busy streets- the clusters of men and women, loitering and wandering around the dirty rag-like streets, dropping trash upon the sidewalks. The crimes and the corruption in the alleyways and buildings would pop out in front of a police officer like a swollen thumb and none would care- prostitutes lurking around with their bare flesh and wounded souls, men with shards of glass from a broken beer bottle in their feet flashing around illegal substances to unwitty customers, thugs in masked hoods gripping onto weapons to bring upon idiotic tourists and tiny little bone-like creatures holding up their black palms for something to fill their bellies with...only to be met by disgusted stares and naked backs turned to them.

Although, that observation is too much of an understatement.

Mitty blinked, knowing that she wouldn't able to lift the window or break out noticing how the glass is bullet proof and unbreakable. She turned around- her back on the view of the city of thieves. She trudged towards the rotting door and wrapped her small fingers around the stained knob. To her surprise, the knob turned like it's supposed to and she was able to pull it back. It creaked open, only enough for her to catch a peak at the rest of the safe house.

It was a simple place, well, 'simple' is over stating things. It was crappy.

The green couch was teared up and tattered, the glass table in front of the couch was smudged and dirty with two beer bottles sitting ontop of it, and in front of it was a tiny cheap old TV with a large crack across the screen. To the left of the main door and near the so called 'living room' was the kitchen; a long dirty counter with a microwave and a toaster on top and two wooden cabinets just above, and then there was the steel stained stove and a small fridge just big enough for any kind of food to fit in it.

She opened the door wider and quietly walked out without much certainty.

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

The wind whipped around the skyscraper, a terrible cold that bit at the calloused skin of the lonesome figure standing on the roof. The wind flew around each building of the city, tearing in between the spaces of each structures, howling like a terrible animal, filling the man's ears and drowning out the roars of distant vehicles and the chatter of people walking down below.

_From above, it wasn't so bad. From above, you'd think of Her as an achievement made by men who have died long ago. From above, the enemy goes unseen._

But, the dark haired man knew, how the enemy looked like, how merciless Gotham really was. He had danced with the enemy more times than he could count, protecting the innocent- only to find that the ones he saved would have ended up...dead.

How deplorable and unforgiving Gotham was- Jason Todd knew all too well.

That is why, he stood before Gotham now, in a brown leather jacket and cargo pants, with armor covering him from head to toe and weapons hidden in every pocket of his attire, and a crimson red helmet tucked in between his arm and his torso.

He would rid Gotham of all inhumanity, he'd kill half of it to save the other half, even if the price that he would have to pay... was his **own** humanity.

Joker was still out there. That sickening mad man. But he was missing. And somehow, Jason knew, that it would take some time before he would see that monster again.

The young man's eyes narrowed at the thought of that phsycopath. Why he had let The Joker go, that night? Well...he didn't, The Joker simply blew up the sewage area that night when he had picked up the girl. He looked down, at two men crossing paths and cursing each other with their fists clenched. The man huffed out a swirl of smoke from his nose as the tip of the cigarette burned brighter. His world was spinning, and he didn't know how long it would be before he blacked out.

There were nights. When he would go out without armor, just a gun in his pocket and a knife in his hand.

There were nights. When he thought about taking out the bomb trigger in his jacket for his helmet and just blow his head to bits just to end the violent screaming in his head. There were nights. When he thought about sticking a bullet down his throat.

And this was one of those nights...

Blood oozed out of his side and dripped down the edge of his lips. It wasn't That deep, but if he let it bled out any longer, he knew that he'd bleed to death. His body was wounded and bruised, something he attained from dancing with Killer Crock who obviously got away, but his body wasn't near as wounded as his shredded soul. Sometimes. He didn't even feel the pain. And sometimes. The pain would be too much to handle.

He couldn't think of a reason anymore...

No one wanted him. No one cared.

His own "father" gave up on him a long time ago. His "brothers" didn't spare him a glance. And his safe house would be empty once the girl had woken up and found the main door open.

What could he be fighting for? Why is he baring with the pain?

He didn't know...

So he waited...

... ...and waited...

For something to happen, for anything to happen! Or maybe he just waited to lose another pint of blood and just collapse and fall down the building. The police might care enough to scoop up his broken body, or maybe Batman would somehow find his broken form and bury him once more. Or maybe no one would spare a glance at his corpse...just like before. But this time...he knew that he wouldn't come back. And that's what he had hoped for.

He gazed upon the night sky as the wind whispered in his ear and nipped at his nose. He could feel, the last droplet of forged hope draining right out of him. He could feel the windy hands on his back, ready to push him off the edge.

He could feel himself leaning into the breeze.

...when he heard light footsteps walking towards him.

The man breathed out the breath he never even knew he was holding in as he slid on the helmet and made sure to cover the wound with his jacket.

He turned around.

And cocked his head.

Throwing back on his mask of arrogance and cockiness.

Ten paces away from him, halfway across the building. Stood two boys. Both standing with honor and glory. Wearing the darkness like it was a part of their skin.

First was the taller one, standing in his red and yellow uniform- an alteration of his old one. Second was a smaller one, who stood with the utmost nonchalance in a black suit, with a brown military-like belt around his waist and a black mask on his face.

Jason smirked under the hood, "so. Did Daddy send you two after me?" He taunted.

But Tim remained stoic and focused, unfazed by the man's cockiness but he didn't miss the way Jason's voice quivered slightly. "No. He's busy. There's one thing the demon brat and I agreed on." Damian shrugged, "I'm just here to take you down, Todd. He on the other hand has another plan in mind." Robin's hand squeezed shut as his eyes narrowed under the white lenses of the mask, "where is she?" He barked with authority.

But Red hood didn't believe in anyone having authority over him, and so he remained unfazed by the kid's voice, "what makes you think I'm telling you?"

Damian gritted his teeth, knowing full well that his teeth would shatter if he grinded them any more, "fine then. We shall settle this in a different manner!" He growled and charged towards the wounded crime fighter. Jason took a step back before Damian could land a punch on him, but the sharp area on Damian's gauntlets scratched at Red Hood's helmet.

"Dammit! This thing is a new model!"

But Damian didn't want any of it, he just leapt forward and kept punching, while Hood kept dodging knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to fight back without dying on them first.

Damian did a flip and threw his leg forward at Hood's jaw, but Jason bent backwards, skillfully avoiding the new broken jaw he would get if Damian didn't miss. "What's the matter mini bat? You're losing your touch!" Hood taunted and succeeded in getting the little assassin angrier.

Hood blocked a punch to the right from the little brat as the kid in the Robin uniform started to advance swinging his staff in hand, "well look who's decided to join the party!" Jason yelled out, avoiding another kick.

The Replacement swung his staff, getting Jason in the arms and limbs, but the older teenager was able to hide his wound and make sure it didn't get hit.

Blows were thrown from the three of them, and Jason noted how serious it was starting to get, noticing the hard and heavy tension he had between the replacement and he frowned with each block and dodge he made. "What's the matter, Todd? You too afraid to land a blow? Ha!" But Hood didn't answer anymore, noticing how the world was already beginning to spin so much more aggressively and he was already near the edge of the building, he took a step back as Robin and Damian had punched him at the same time in the face. He stumbled backwards as the helmet cracked revealing half of his face and his slightly teared mask.

Tim frowned and took a step back, as his shoulders went slack when he noticed the dry blood dripping down Hood's mouth and he looked to see the stab wound on the older man's side.

"Hood...your bleeding..."

"Yeah? Why do you care Replacement?!"

Tim thought for a while longer, "let us take you home...we can help you, and fix up that wound...and Alfred.." He looked down and whispered, "Alfred still has those cookies."

"What!?" Damian yelled as he looked back at the older boy who stood behind him now. Tim eyed the boy dangerously, and Damian wittily held his tongue for once.

"So Replacement...this was never about the kid, huh?" Hood asked hoarsely staring at The Replacement.

Tim shook his head, "not really." He admitted.

Jason gritted his teeth..."you know that I'm beyond help...I don't need to be fixed...I can't anymore."

"Hood...you can go back home."

Jason frowned, "you know I don't have a home there anymore. Bats will probably just throw me in Arkham..."

"Jason...I know that things are really messed up...but we can still fix things..."

"Fuck off Pretender!" He pulled out a gun and aimed it at Tim's head.

Damian's eyes widened under the dark mask and before Jason could pull out the safety, Damian was already in a flying kick position towards the larger man. Damian successfully kicked him right in the side, and Hood fell back down the edge of the tall skyscraper, letting go of the gun.

"Hood!" Robin yelled running towards the edge of the building. The wind blew at his hair as he fell, his arms stretched out as he stared down at the very bottom of the ground where all the cars were passing by and the crowds hovering around. He blinked as if debating whether he should take his grapple out or not.

Maybe he could just let himself splat at the bottom...then he wouldn't have to feel anything ever again...he wouldn't cause anyone anymore problems...dying wasn't so bad...

No...it wasn't so bad... Hood closed his eyes as the wind blew back up at his body...desperately trying to bring him back to the top of the building...

If he got out of the way...then what would the problem be? It's not like anyone would miss him.

"HOOOD!!!" Robin yelled as he took out his grapple and shot it down, but it wouldn't reach...Jason was already almost to the ground. Damian just stared, with wide eyes and lips pale.

He hated Todd's guts with all that was left with his heart...but did he really want him dead?

_"Hero...huh?"_

Hood opened his eyes and brought his hands to his side and took out his grappling gun and the rope encircled around a pole connected to the building. Jason swung towards the empty parking lot, when he landed in the dark area with hardly any cars, he landed on his knees as he stared at the ground for a while with green eyes, sparking with anger.

He could feel the pain, and mixture of anger and sadness overcome him. He screamed and punched the floor.

What had he to return to?

He didn't have anything!

Nothing! nothing! Nothing!

He lost it all...in a warehouse one day...with a mad man...and a crowbar...with the numbers...counting to Zero...

It was all taken away from him...in just one day!

Jason screamed again, unable to keep the tears in his eyes.

The grief, the pain, the anger...the loneliness...it consumed him...

No one could help him anymore... No one! He was alone...he was always alone! No matter what!

He had nothing now...no one to return to...nothing to fight for...

But a stupid, naive dream that didn't even make any sense!

He punched the ground, like a child throwing a tantrum. He heard his knuckles crack and he felt the warm blood drip down his hand as the higher half of his body went limp while he knelt and kept his head down. He could hear, ever so clearly, the pitter patter of the rain outside the parking lot...

Red Hood's eyes shot up, his one green eye looking straight into the eyes of the darkness as he started to get up, one knee at a time. He grunted when the sharp pain shot up his ribs and he held his wound as he limped towards the exit of the dark parking lot.

**\--BREAKLINE--**

The little chatter of the whispers far, far away echoed in his mind. The wind swirled around his dark tousled hair and gently touched his cheek as it sang a sweet sad song whirling through the swaying dark green pine trees.

All he could do was stare down at the short trimmed grass with his hands digging in his pockets for warmth. All he had for company were the blurry little structures of crumbling gray stones.

His baby blue eyes never left the very few words carved on the two stones sticking out of the ground.

It was a new morning, and Dick rode all the way to Gotham, it had been two months already since he was here after all. He could never forget his home, no matter how Bludhaven and Gotham were similar...it was never the same. He could never really stay away from Gotham...no matter what happened, Gotham pulled him back.

The world wasn't its usual black and white today- not for Dick anyways...no, today, the world had become an odd shade of dark gray. The sky flew above his head, but it was lower than it usually was...threatening to rain heavy tears in the earth.

Dick looked down grimly at the stones, without any real emotion. The young man who was usually filled with emotion, of any kind- whether it was sadness or happiness -gazed down at the tomb stones of his late parents with empty and emotionless blue eyes. Strong hands dug in lower into his pockets as he pulled out two beautiful little white flowers. His eyes flickered with grief as he held onto the prickled hard stems tightly. As he bent down to place the flowers on the ground, tiny tears of blood trickled down his calloused fingers and onto the grass. "Happy Anniversary guys..."

The tall man slowly sat down in front of the graves in a comfortable but respectable position.

The thick dark red blood on his fingers spread down to his hand.

Dick's eyes flickered once more, and fluctuated, revealing a hidden mournful shine. The young man's fingers twirled and twisted the little blades of the green grass as his lips stretched into a thin line making him look older than he really is.

"Life has gotten way more messed up..." He started, "It turns out...that it's not so fun being on my own than I thought it would be...it's always way too quiet in my apartment..."

"That's why I like to visit the manor more. My two baby brothers are there. Well, Tim is not really much of a baby. But Damian...well he acts like he's older than me...but he's just a kid..." His eyes traced the carved in letters of the grave, "that's why...I'm gonna teach him everything." A small smile tug at the side of his lips. "Everything you guys taught me..." He whispered sadly.

"Bruce is still a terrible dad, as usual. But it's kinda sad how Damian has to go through the same thing we all did." HIs lips hardly moved, "the perks of having Batman as a mentor." The wind howled in his ears, so he could hardly even hear his own voice. The blood on his fingers continued to fall without him noticing it anymore. "I have a feeling that Tim's gonna spread his wings out soon too...maybe he'll be the new leader of the Team. He's a really smart kid."

"Oh...and Jason..." Dick sighed, frowning. "I don't know..." He looked down to the ground.

"Sometimes I wonder if I should even bother to call us a family." Then his eyes shot back to the stones as if expecting someone to answer, only to be met by the singing of the wind.

He shut his mouth in silence and stared back down as he tugged harder on the blades of the grass and the wind softened.

"I'm a man now..." He muttered quietly. "I'm in my twenties...I've done a lot, I've saved a lot of people..."

Then he looked back at the stones as the rain washed down on him in large droplets of tears, "but why do I still feel like a kid? Why do I still feel like that eight year old that couldn't do anything to save his parents?" He yelled quietly. The blood on his fingers washed down on the grass along with the salty water. The wind howled and cried as the sky's tears rained harder on his head...and rolling down his cheeks.

"Why!?" He cried out, the tone of his voice getting slightly higher as he yelled "it's been years! But. Why..." His voice softened into a whisper, "why...does it still. Hurt?"

"Why do I still feel guilty for your deaths? Why do you still haunt me!?" He screamed in a whisper, tearing out the grass.

 _Woooshhhhh_...the rain screamed, as if it was matching the emotions in his heart. The wind howled and slapped at his flesh, nibbling at his cheeks and yet somehow, through the pain...Dick could feel the soft sounding melody the wind sang.

Dick eventually closed his eyes, through the tears as he sat with his back straight and his head faced forward. The shower had stopped all of a sudden and the warmth of the soft wind embraced him so tightly and lulled him into a soft sleep.

He didn't even notice the warm blanket that someone had placed over his shoulders.

**\--BREAKLINE--**

He threw a punch, with his teeth clenched and a furious spark in his eyes. Each punch he threw was harder than the last. Each breath he puffed out was heavy and the sweat beaded his eyebrows and matted his black spiky hair. The boy had his way of letting out some steam, and his was trying to maim the lights out of a dummy in the Batcave's training area until his knuckles had become numb or even until it would bleed, he would still continue.

He couldn't show any weakness, so he would get tougher and tougher everyday.

The little master assassin threw his arm back and clenched his fists, then he swung it forward with a grunt and the crack of his knuckles as the head of the dummy flew back and smashed into the wall.

Damian stopped, his chest rising and falling quicker than normal and his bare fists still clenched as his cheeks reddened with the sweat and exhaustion. He wheeled around, still carrying that terrible burden on his shoulders as he swung he foot on the ground, hitting nothing in particular. The boy slumped down on the side of the wall, staring straight with his sweat beaded brows furrowed tightly.

The boy was confused. He often mix up confusion with anger.

He didn't understand...

He didn't... ...

Last night was beyond odd. But what angered him this time, wasn't the action of his ignorant brother, or his stubborn father...but rather it was these...odd feelings that he felt.

He wasn't used to it...

... ...

Drake had convinced him, somehow, to go after Hood. Damian agreed, stating calmly that he only wanted to calm to punch the lights out of Todd...but he was lying, he didn't know what his real reason was, he just knew that that wasn't the reason.

Maybe...it was because he wanted to make sure...that Todd was still alive?

Damian didn't know affection very well, and the most he could muster that would come close to affection was his aggression.

Last night. Todd had pointed a gun at Drake's head, when he had done that...Damian couldn't help but rush to make sure that Drake was okay- that he didn't die. His body and mind screamed at him to make sure Todd didn't fire that bullet...or if it was fired, the little boy would make sure it would never hit his bro- Drake. Luckily, Todd never had a chance to pull the trigger...But as a result, he kicked Todd in an open wound, and that idiot stumbled backwards...and he fell...

How ignorant of that man! To go out without armour! And not heading back to whatever safehouse to medicate himself!

When he saw that Todd was still falling, when Todd didn't bother pull out his grapple, Damian couldn't help but fear for the worst.

So many thoughts went through his head that night...

_Why hadn't Todd saved himself?_

_He would fall splat on the ground!_

_No!_

_Is he...going to let himself die!? WHY!?_

_Why would he do that!?_

And when Damian and Tim had gone back home...the boy couldn't shake the thought of any of his _brothers_ dying.

All this time...he thought he had already suppressed any emotion a long time ago, any possible way to care for someone else who wasn't himself. But last night...all those emotions washed out secretly. He thought he never cared for any of these idiots, but last night proved that he was only pretending like he didn't care.

Was this...

What it was like...

To have a family?

To care for someone, and deep down inside, you know that they care for you too?

He just stared out at the headless dummy,

That's why, Todd never actually pulled the trigger to shoot him or Drake.

That's why Drake would help him with his homework despite his protests.

That's why Grayson tried to help him become more like a child.

That's why Father had eventually accepted him.

That's why Pennyworth did everything to make sure this family stayed together.

**\--BREAKINE--**

He ran his hands through his hair and looked out the window. The empty blue night glared right down on him and the moon hid like a coward behind the thick, moist clouds.

Tim wiped his face with both hands and let out a shaky breath.

But the memories of the dream stayed lurking in his mind, each time he blinked, the memory flashed red in his eyes. He grinded his teeth and pulled at his hair. "STOP IT!" He growled lowly as the the heat of the world surrounded him.

He struggled, he cried, he begged...but they didn't leave him in peace. They couldn't just leave him alone! Even if he had already been choking, even if his own blood was already spilled, even as the stickly sweat had caresed his flesh...they never left him alone!

The memories, they never went away. The terrible nightmares would never leave the young teen's mind, that he had already lost hope that the nightmares would ever leave him until the day he died. "Stop it!" The voice never faded and the screaming never ceased crying out.

"STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed loudly, pulling at his hair and kicking the bed under the sheets.

Suddenly the door slammed wide open, "TIM!"

There were tears streaming down his eyes now, he was shaking violently, his eyes were wide and he couldn't remember how to breathe.

He didn't see who it was, but soembody, had pulled him into a tight hug and rubbed circles at his back. "Shush...it's okay now. It's okay..."

"L-leave me a-alone..." He sobbed and wimpered pathetically.

"Shsh...it's okay...your okay...no ones going to hurt you Tim."

He was rocked back and forth by the voice whispering his ear, he was cradled in the strong arms of the wind's howling voice as he let go of a breath and relaxed by bit. He stared straight forward at the blackness of the world, with his wide, pain-stricken eyes.

"No one's going to hurt you, Timmy..." The voice whispered.

"P-promise?" He wimpered like a child, closing his eyes slowly.

The sky was always dark, and no one ever even caught a glimpse of a star.

But past the clouds, farther than the moon, and brighter than the sun would ever shine... There were real stars. In the night sky, that only if you tried so hard to look at it, past all the dark, grey clouds and all the darkness of space...you would see the stars with your very own eyes.

"I promise." The voice whispered and the door was quietly shut as the little children were put into bed.


	16. Chapter 16

The numbers were red on the digital clock, it was 10:47 at night.

His hardened blue eyes scrutinized every detail of the night sky, and the land below him.

The large muscular figure sat on the rather comfortable chair with his arms slacked on the arm rests, with his dark tousled hair darkening his eyes- his face seemed to be so much more grim than it usually was.

A great puddle of smooth milk rose above all the lands and set itself in the middle of the sky like a god, brightening the earth with it's gentle light.

In the dark, trembling room, with the night enveloping him in terror through the large window just by the chair, there was a man- not younger than 20 -facing his very own demons.

The darkness stretched on and embraced him, until he choked, until he wallowed in it. And the blood, the blood had licked at his muscles and dribbled down the meaty fingers that were encircling the handle of a golden bell. The darkness never let him go, and he had solemnly accepted that.

What we have before us, in this shady room, was a man who had gone through a tragic ordeal of the most grievous kind. A man who had waited years and years, struggling and suffering through the crashing waves. A man who wages war on the city of crime all on his own, trying to win it, but losing his very own war against this madness. A man searching for strength, praying to whatever god that is out there so that he may win the battle against the monstrous crimes of humanity.

A man...with only one aim...to strike fear into the hearts of those scumbags that litter the streets, he shall stand in the darkness above them as they tremble in fright.

The demons gnawed at him, and enjoyed his bare flesh...all the man could do was sit there accepting it, yet searching at the same time.

' _I've tried to be patient..._

_I've tried to wait. But I have to know..._

_How do I do it?_

_What do I use..._

_To make them afraid?_

_If I ring this bell, Alfred will come. He can stop the bleeding just in time._

_Another of your gifts to me, father..._

_I have everything..._

_Wealth, fame..._

_I have everything, father. But patience._

_I'd rather die, than wait any longer. I have waited...18 years._

_18 years, since..._

_Since Zorro. Since the walk that night.'_

Two darkened figures walked just behind one smaller one, who was slashing around excitedly with his imaginary sword.

Then a man in a coat walked out of the shadows and stood right in front of them. He pointed the barrel of a gun right at their faces.

"Take anything you want. Just don't hurt my family."

" **BAM!** " Without a word. He shot the mother. " **BAM!** "

The white pearls fell to the ground as it broke a part, and each orb dropped on the ground, with soundless clatters on the red puddles.

The boy fell to his knees in the middle of the two bodies, as the man walked away and the rain washed over him.

His parent's eyes were devoid of any emotion...or any life... staring straight up at the night sky as the rain fell upon the boy.

It was hard to believe that they were gone. That they were taken away by the click of the gun.

But they were...

...gone...

"Happy birthday Bruce."

It was that of the eyes of a mother, her soft, sparkling eyes, her gentle motherly voice and the loving aura that she let on was what made the little boy feel love. Then a father with a strong frame, and calloused eyes, yet with a proud smile was what made the child feel safe.

He laughed as he played with the little toy train on the floor, his eyes brightening and his smile wide.

"Haha haha haha" the voice of a child, laughing and giggling as he ran away from his parents on the soft green grass after being tickled.

"Where are you going, Bruce?" Those soft eyes shined as he glanced back at his mother.

"Haha haha- **AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!** " He screamed as his world was consumed in darkness, and he fell. Into a hole, and he whimpered, and cried, all alone...the poor little boy.

But no...he wasn't alone. He had company.

There were red eyes floating in the darker end of the hole, staring right at him.

Then they all flew above him, encircling the boy as he cried and tried to hide his face.'

It had sharp fangs, it had eyes like black, murky orbs and it's wings looked like thin sheets of sand paper.

Without warning, it comes...

Crashing through the window.

And he knows, that the young man has seen it before.

It frightened him, as a boy...

' _Frightened me..._

_Yes, father. I shall become a bat.'_

Bruce Wayne blinked, as he walked out of the cave, and the clock closed. He turned around to see that the two hands were still at the same time he set it on to enter, 10:48 before the hands automatically moved to the original time of 4:22 in the morning.

He walked out of the study and towards the grand stairs where he caught a quick glimpse of the flock of black hair. He sighed, "Damian. Tim. Where did you go."

At the top of the stairs, the two boy climbed back down at least by three steps to face their mentor.

Damian had a bruise on his jaw and Tim had a cut on his forehead.

Bruce crossed his arms over his chest, "explain."

"I thought I had upgraded the security." He muttered to himself as the two boys took a deep breath and almost at the same time, they yelled and pointed, "it was his fault!"

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

Mitty placed a small warm blanket on top of the couch in the living room just to cover it. "Alright." She smiled, placing her hands on her hips and staring at the safe house.

"I waxed the counter and the floor, unclogged the sink. Washed the dishes, sewed the curtains, patched up the couch. Folded the clothes, separated the dirty underwear from the clean ones, reorganized the pots and pans and the fridge condiments. Threw away all the gross stuff. And rearranged all Hood's weapons and gadgets...and clothes." She clasped her fingers together and looked at the clock above the TV.

She frowned slightly, "you know...for a safe house, it doesn't really look like one..." She mumbled to know one in particular.

"Uh. It's only, 5:00...Red Hood hasn't come back since two nights ago...wonder where he is..."

She shrugged as she opened up the curtains to let the dim rays of sunlight in. Then she heard a bike stop right in front of the house.

The door knob started to move slightly as it was unlocked from the outside and the silver piece of metal twisted, she took a step back when a man with a cracked red helmet fell right through.

She stared down at the large man practically kissing the floor boards. Slowly, her face started to twist as she realized what was going on. "Eh...eh...aaaaahhhhhhh!" 

She started mumbling complaints to herself as she took off the terribly wrapped bandages and took a good look at his wound. She cleansed it properly, "It's already starting to get infected." She mumbled and walked over to the kitchen to get the boiling water and the sterilized needle. "It's a good thing he's got some medical supplies...not much though..." She took the sterilized needle and thread and walked back to the couch where she miraculously dragged the large man onto, (Red Hood's gotta lay off the ice cream...).

Her eyebrows knitted when her hand came closer to the open wound, she had already applied medicine and disinfected it, but...there was a problem...she never actually stitched anyone up before...

She grunted like a cute little anime girl all confused and scared. Her hand shook, but she closed her eyes and took a deep breath..."guess I'll learn hands on..." She muttered.

She thanked her lucky stars that nothing went wrong and she was actually able to stitch him up properly without a terrible accident or mistake.

The dark haired girl sighed as she applied more medicine to the deep scratch and wrapped a gauze around the wound. She then went on to apply medicine onto the lesser wounds and removed his jacket to sprawl it on a table.

Her eyes drifted onto the face of the resting man, his helmet was cracked, and the domino mask under his helmet was slightly teared...but somehow...he seemed familiar.

Then she chuckled to herself..."what paranoid loser wears a mask under a helmet?" She took off the cracked helmet and placed in the table like it was some million worth antique.

She cocked her head as she dabbed some medicine on the wounds of his face, "Red hood...huh, don't look so tough under the hood..."

It was at least an hour later, when Hood had woken up. He stared at the moulds ceiling for a while and looked to his side to see his cracked helmet and his jacket sprawled out on the coffee table just before the television set.

Then he heard the footsteps and the stove turning off just at the kitchen, his eye widened and instinctively pulled out his gun from his jacket as he sat up, pulled out the safety and aimed it at the figure standing by the stove.

Jason's brows furrowed under the mask when he aimed the gun at the small girl placing the pan in the counter and putting it's contents on the plate. She was looking down on the plate, knowing that there was a gun pointed at her back but she still kept doing what she was and not even bothering to turn around anymore.

"Oh good, you're up. I thought I was going to have to get Batgirl to kiss you and wake you up." She joked calmly.

Red Hood lowered his gun and sighed, rubbing his head noticing the mask still on his face. "What are you still doing here?"

Mitty walked over to the coffee table and placed the plate down, Red Hood stared at the pancakes for a while. There was a huge stack with chocolate syrup dripping down the edges and large blueberries placed on top.

"Where'd you get the pancakes and the blueberries?"

She waved her hand and cocked her head while closing her eyes, as she walked back to the kitchen, "I only noticed a while ago that I left some money in my pants before I left the house. So I went to the store just close by and splurged on food." She answered with a bored tone.

As Jason stared at the warm food, he heard the faucet opening in the kitchen, "I mean...all you had in your fridge were pickles, beer and chocolate syrup! What idiot has chocolate syrup without anything to eat it with? Did you gulp down half the bottle?"

He shrugged and picked up the fork, "hey, not everyone is as rich as Bruce Wayne." He grumbled as he stuffed his mouth.

"Yeah, I know you're low on funds (obviously), but the least you could do is buy yourself something to eat, instead of beer!"

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Mom." He rolled his eyes, gulping down the food.

The fridge opened and the girl walked over to Jason with a tall glass of milk and shoved it towards him. He stared at it for a while and then looked up at her, who was standing above him with a calm look in her eyes.

"Well?" She shoved the glass closer to him as her eyebrow quirked, he took the glass from the kid and drank it. "You've got a whole lot of change to be able to buy all that..."

She walked back to the kitchen, "yeah. Mister Wayne is pretty generous."

He placed the glass down, and mumbled, "yeah..."

"Ahem. Anyways. What the hell are you still doing here?" He asked chomping on another wax of pancake.

"The door to the room was open, so I let myself out." She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "By the way, you forgot to lock the main door."

Jason's eyebrows quirked in annoyance as his smiled angrily at the pancakes with closed eyes, "yeah...I know..."

"You really shouldn't forget to lock the door. Someone might take all your stuff...well, what's left of it anyways."

Now Jason was just pissed.

_Who is this kid anyways!? Who does she think she is!?_

_What kind if an idiot is she!?_

"Are you kidding me!?" He growled, not bothering to get out of his couch, "how clueless could you be? I left the door unlocked so you could leave!"

There was a silence coming from the kitchen, "are you retarded or something!" The girl said from the kitchen.

"I should be asking you the same thing!"

"You kidnap someone...you take them for ransom, you kill them, or sell them. I don't know. But I have never heard of a kidnapper taking someone, keeping them, and then letting them go!"

"Are you an idiot!?"

"Maybe I am!"

"Well I have never heard of a kidnappee not running away from the kidnapper when she has the chance!"

She stomped over to him, her face flushed with anger and her mouth puffed immaturely. "Grr...hey, I patched your wound and cleaned your place! The least you could do is say is thank you! You know how clogged your sink is!?"

He stayed silent for a moment and looked down at the half eaten pancakes, still overflowing with chocolate and there were still three drops of blue berries on top.

Alfred used to cook him the same thing...and it tasted almost exactly the same way Alfred made it.

"How did you know?" He asked, changing the subject s,till staring down at the memory.

The chocolate syrup was mixed with chocolate milk and regular milk, the blueberries were just as sweet as it was in his memories and the pancakes themselves were soft and fluffy and he could tell that the mixture had a little honey.

Mitty leaned backwards and frowned at the change of subject but let it go anyways, "how did I know, what?"

"This used to be my favorite..." Mitty didn't miss the sad tone in the man's voice. "My grandpa used to make this every morning...and this tastes exactly the same way he made it..."

Mitty looked away from him with a small cute frown, "well. Since you obviously know that I'm adopted by Bruce Wayne judging by the newspaper in the trash can. Bruce Wayne's butler taught me how to make it."

Under the white lenses of the mask, Jason's eyes glinted with sorrow and regret. He thought he would never be able to relive the memory ever again, he thought he would never be able to taste these pancakes ever again...and yet...here it was, the copy of Alfred's cooking.

"He told me, that it was an old recipe." Mitty said and looked away, towards the window as the rays of sunlight washed in the room, and somehow it was warmer.

_'Come to think of it...Alfred looked kinda sad when he taught me the recipe. He looked exactly as sad as Hood did...'_

She looked back down at hood, who clearly looked saddened to her just by noticing his change of posture and the frown on his face that told her every single emotion he carried with him.

"Hey. What happened to you?"

Hood straightened up and shook his head, "nothing...I just remembered..."

"Who, your grandpa?" She walked beside him and sat down on the couch, "yeah, I had a grandpa too. Although he didn't really do much of the cooking like yours did." She raised her arms and placed her hands behind her head as she leaned back.

Jason glared at the girl seated beside him.

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

"Good morning Bruce."

"Good morning, Dick." Bruce greeted as he flipped through the next page and took a sip from his coffee. "Sleep well last night?"

The younger of the two men sat down and picked up the spoon to partake of his favorite cereal that was already readied for him, "you could say that." He chirped.

Dick looked around the table, but no one else was there. "Where's Tim and Damian?" He asked.

"Grounded."

"What? Why?"

Bruce sighed, "somehow, they sneeked out last night."

"Both of them?"

Bruce nodded.

"at the same time?"

Bruce nodded again.

"So they actually agreed on something." Dick breathed wistfully, leaning back. "Where did they go?"

Bruce closed his eyes out of stress as he out down the newspaper and said, "they went to fight Red hood."

Dicks eyes widened as he forcefully swallowed the milk and cereal in his mouth. "W-what!?" The younger man gawked.

Bruce rubbed his temples.

"Why in the hell would they do that!?"

"Master Richard, I do not tolerate swearing at the table!" Alfred scolded as Dick sighed and reached into his pocket pulling out one dollar and dropping it onto Alfred's swear jar.

Bruce continued as he took a sip out of his coffee, "they were looking for Myth. But something tells me that, that wasn't what their reason really was."

Dick hummed in response.

"So, Dick. Why are you here?"

"Why? Can't I drop off whenever I wanna?"

Bruce stared intently at Dick, then looked back at his papers.

"I wanna confront Jason. Figure out what he's up to, why he's keeping Myth."

"You know, Bruce. By now, I thought you would've already found her...it's like you want Jason to keep her." He accused.

Bruce kept reading, "no...that's not it, Dick. The Joker's still out there and-" he was cut off by a sigh coming from the younger man.

Dick stood up, shaking his head. "I don't know what you plan to do with Myth. Or whatever ypur real reason is for keeping her here. But if you're trying to be a father to her, the least you could do is show it...you're hardly even making progress with Damian." Dick started walking away, "you do now what Damian's gonna feel right? Having another addition to our supposed 'family'."

Bruce looked back at the newspaper, obviously reading about himself.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that Dick was partially right...in spite of Batman having a mission against Red Hood... Bruce didn't know if he could bring himself to face Jason again.

Not after what happened...not after their first meeting...

\-- **BREAKLINE** \--

"Your TV's broken."

"I know that."

"It's got a huge scratch across the screen."

"I know that!"

"Your remote-"

"You know what kid! Just shut up!"

There was a long silence amongst the two as Mitty sat stiffly staring at the black screen of the TV. Then she looked at Hood, who was still wearing his mask. "I don't get why, you keep your mask on. Do you wear that 24/7?"

Jason's eyes shot open as he stated to get up and huffed in anger but before he could yell in the stupid kid's face, she had already ran to the kitchen to do whatever work that was to be done.

"Grrrrrr..." He grumbled.

She walked back to Jason after remembering that there was nothing in the fridge.

Jason was lying down on the couch with his arm resting over his eyes, Mitty sat just by his feet looking around for something to do.

Then her eyes lowered as she quickly got bored, "you're booooriiiinggggg...." She burst out.

Jason just grunted, "I'm trying to sleep!"

She gave him a few moments of silence, looking around again, "there's nothing to do...no wonder you're always so grumpy!"

Jason no longer answered, trying his best to ignore her.

She looked down at her feet, "must be lonely..." She mumbled sadly, and then looked at him. "Don't you ever get lonely? No one else lives here. I think...that whoever the other you is...there's less of him than there is of Red hood...you've let Red hood take over your life..."

Jason's hand flew away from his face as he glared right into Mitty's eyes, "kid, I don't understand. Why you just won't leave! Besides, you know nothing about me!" He growled lowly.

She shrugged, "no. Not really. But my old friends used to tell me that I was good at reading people."

Jason sat up, "well...I don't think I'll ever be sleeping, with you around."

"Nope!" She beamed, swinging her legs like a little kid.

"It's my turn to ask questions." He said and Mitty cocked her head questioningly.

"Ask away!"

"We all know that Bruce Wayne doesn't adopt just anyone. So why did he pick you?"

She frowned and looked down and her legs stopped swinging, "it's simple actually...I was walking down the streets of Gotham, when a car hit me. I woke up three months later in a hospital and found out that Mr. Wayne was the one who hit me, I didn't know how to pay for the bill, but turns out that Mr. Wayne already paid for it. He said he was going to adopt me, but I didn't know how to repay him for bringing me to the hospital, paying for the bill and taking me in. So I insisted that I'd help with the household chores and...even though it's not enough...when I get older...I'll find out some other way to repay him."

Jason just stared at her, "what!? Bruce...actually hit you?" The man blurted.

She nodded, "yeah...it was dark...and he was probably caught off guard..."

"He...actually hit you!?"

"Yeah...I guess it was just a coincidence."

Jason looked down at her hands, which were squeezing the couch already, "so how's your life at the manor?"

She shrugged, "well...they're all really nice people. I guess. But I don't think Mr. Grayson likes me very much."

"Grayson!? C'mon, he likes everybody!"

She nodded slowly, still looking down as she hummed, slightly agreeing with him.

"What about...your parents? We all know Bruce just adopts orphans." He added insensitively.

She looked at him and smiled until her eyes, "well you know...they're obviously dead." She said cheerfully and so naturaly. "Kinda sad...but you know. Everyone loses their parents eventually." Her eyes started to shine and become slightly glossy as she looked out the window by the TV, "people will leave. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters..."

"but you know. If I never lost them. I wouldn't have met Bruce, or Dick, or Tim, or Damian. No pain no gain!"

"Whoops, I said too much..." She looks back at him with slightly wide eyes.

"What about you?"

Jason leaned back, "me?" So evidebtly caught off guard.

She nodded, "yeah. You. Where's your family?"

Jason looks away from the girl, still sitting beside her and looking out the window as well. "Never had one."

"Wha- no...are you sure?"

"They're dead. Dad was a stupid criminal. Mom was a drug addict." He chuckled, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth, "they both taught me a lot, yeah. Like how to live alone."

"I never asked you about your parents. I asked you about your family."

He frowned, "oh...them...they left. They didn't want me, and I don't want them. So we left each other. End of story."

"Oh..."

"Lesson no. 1 kid. Everyone. Leaves." He looked at her with rage sparking in his eyes.

"I guess...you say goodbye. But you say hello too."

Their ideals, clash right there.

There was a strong silence between them as they both stared at the rays of sunlight beaming down on them, washing in through the curtains. But the rays hit Mitty and warmed her face, reflecting off of her hazel eyes, as it left Jason in the dark.

"You know the name..." He gulped, "...of Jason Todd."

Mitty looked at him with curiosity flooding her eyes, "yeah."

"What do you know about him?"

She looked down, "Bruce Wayne's second ward...he died a five years ago. He was fifteen when a bombing in Ethiopia took his life."

"Yeah...they called him a charity case. He was a street kid...they said he was lucky to be adopted by Bruce." Jason said with much shame in his voice.

Mitty looked down, "yeah, they called him that."

A moment passed before Mitty spoke again, "but I don't believe them." Jason looked up, as the frail little girl smiled at him with a toothless smile, "it doesn't matter what they say. I think it's pretty cool...how his life was full of coincidences. I mean, sure he was a street kid...but somehow, he was adopted by the richest man in Gotham."

Jason smiled very lightly, but somewhat...genuinely...

The girl beamed, "so you do smile!"

Jason patted her head and that little spark in his teal green eyes returned after 5 years. "I guess you could stay for a while." He muttered as his hand fell.

The feeble looking girl's grin somehow widened reaching her ears, "awesome!" She laughed. "Great! Now you don't have to be alone anymore!"

Then she cocked her head, "wait...I still wanna know who you are..." She pointed at his red domino mask. "It's not nice to eat lunch with a mask on. That's bad manners!" She lightly scolded. Jason rolled his eyes under his mask, "fine." He grumbled.

' _Its not like Bruce has any pictures of me._ ' He thought. 'there' _s no way she would know who I really am.'_

He placed his fingers on his mask and ever so carefully, he ripped his mask off.

 


	17. Chapter 17

They're all tough. Strong. Brave.

They're all different in many ways.

But they've got a few things in common. For one, they've all been broken, by this cruel world. They each had to find a way to survive in this world. They've all been through great tragedy, and pain. They each suffered, every single one of them had gone through a challenge greater than them.

Each of them fought so hard. They all endured all that pain, and came out alive.

**\---**

There was a soft knock on solid wood. "Hey Tim? You in there?" Dick's voice rang from the other side of the door. When the man had received no answer, he decided to press his ear on the door, he could hear aggressive and quick typing on the other side.

He sighed and opened the door, barging in. But when the door had swung open, the young teenager didn't even bother to turn around.

The curtains were closed, blocking any form of sunlight to enter. Tim sat just in front of the desk, typing on his laptop, beside him and all over the floor were pieces of papers of documents and files.

"What is it that you want, Dick." The boy asked coldly.

The acrobat hovered towards his brother, nearly stepping on the shards of glass that was lying on the floor. He glanced over to the bed, and by the foot of the bed was a broken picture frame of two people that looked quite familiar to him. But the vigilante ignored it and continued to move towards the boy.

"I was wondering, if-"

"Can't. Busy."

"You didn't even know what I was going to say!" Dick flailed his arms, but as he sighed, he quickly let his arms fall slack. "What are you busy with, anyways?"

"Lots of things."

"Like what?"

Tim grumbled and stopped typing as he turned around on his swivel chair to face the tall one. It was obvious to Dick's eyes that the boy was tired, just by looking at the clearly heavy eye bags under the boy's sky blue eyes.

"Three drug dealer were killed a few nights ago. Two distributors, one supplier. The remains of the three men were found in their own separate apartments, they were already dead for five days. But autopsy reports say that they died at the same time. The connection between the three of these men was that they're in the same drug ring, working under Grissom. I already have my suspect, I just need to gather enough evidence to pin it on him."

Dick nodded, pretending to be listening but only taking in how tired his little brother looked like. "When was the last you've slept?"

Tim rolled his eyes and wheeled his chair around to turn his back on his brother. "I need to concentrate, Dick. I need you to leave."

It was more than difficut for Dick to pretend that he wasn't hurt by it.

"Why don't you have school today? Damian has school."

"My mathlete group and I won a competition, as a prize we get a week off, and a trophy for the school."

"So then why do you have seven golden medals now, instead of six?"

"I won the gold medal, we each get our own individual medals according to our ranks." Tim answered irritatedly.

"Wow Tim, I didn't even know about that!"

"You didn't need to."

Dick frowned at his brother's emotionless tone. "You know..." He sighed, "it wouldn't hurt to take a break some times."

"I don't have all day."

"But-"

"Listen, Dick." Tim cut him off, still typing on his computer. "Thanks for the concern, but I don't need it. What I need is to be left alone, so I can concentrate. It would be easier for me if you leave." He said in a cold and harsh tone.

Dick's frown deepened. "Alright..." He said softly, unable to hide the slight hurt in his voice. "Just tell me when you found enough evidence."

As the door was shut softly, Tim flinched at the slightest bit as he stopped typing. He sighed and rubbed his face, before shutting down the computer.

The last things he really wanted was to reject his brother...but...he really needed his time alone.

The teenager got up and picked up his phone from his table and slumped down on his bed, raising his phone to his eye level while lying down to check who called him over the time he was locked up. Sure enough, he found 8 calls from Conner, 2 from Cassandra, and even one call from Barbara.

As he dropped the phone on the bed and took in details of the ceiling, he sighed exhaustedly.

He never wanted to push anyone away, or hurt anyone...he just needed...some time alone...

The demons were returning...the demons that he pushed away so long ago had returned and grew bigger as they feasted in his meat.

He sat up and rubbed his forehead, closing s eyes for a moment. But when he opened them again, he saw the cracked picture frame lying on the floor.

The boy picked it up and gazed at it.

_'It was always there...'_

"Come now, Tim. If you don't hurry up, we won't be able to watch the circus."

The little toddler was carried across the circus grounds so he could see it all. There were so many children running around, dragging their parents along with them towards the gigantic tent. The toddler kept smiling, curiously setting his eyes on everything he could.

He looked straight, towards a family. A mother, father, and a son. These people weren't just any people though, these people were The Flying Graysons, the last ones too.

"Dick. I've got those tickets for the baseball game on Monday." The father told his son as they kept walking.

"You Really got 'em? Wow! I can't believe I'm going to the world series!" The young boy who wasn't older than nine chided excitedly.

As Tim and his family were getting closer to The Graysons, he respectfully asked, "um...excuse us for interupting but-"

"This is Tim's first time at the circus. We were wondering if you would let s take your photo with him?"

"Of course, we'd be delighted." The mother answered.

Dick held onto Tim as the two families started to pose for the camera, "Tim, say cheese!"

There was a flash as the bolts gave out.

The man and the woman started to fall, leaving their son at the top of the world.

_'It was everywhere..._

_My entire life..._

_How could I not have seen it!?'_

His parents were caught in a plane crash. Although his father was spared...his mother was not...

"MOM!!!!!! DAD!!!!!!!"

His father...was stuck in a coma...even though he stayed at the manor...for the longest time...he felt alone.

Not long passed when Jack Drake woke up from his coma and Tim returned home, he was able to convince his father to buy a house by the manor. Things were alright at first...

When Tim turned 9, he figured out the identities of Batman and Robin. Of course...he kept it a secret from everyone, including Bruce, Dick and Jason.

Then one day, he walked with his father into the manor grounds once more...to attend the funeral of a boy he never even met.

_'Death._

_Always at my tail._

_Is this..._

_The life I was always meant to live?'_

But he noticed that Batman became more reckless, and the man was bound to get himself killed. So Tim mustered up all his persuasive powers to try and convince the first Boy Wonder to be Robin again. But Dick didn't want the job anymore.

Somehow, Brave Tim was able to convince Batman to make him Robin.

But for every hero's story...there always had to be a tragedy.

It was a night, when the thirteen year old Tim had gone home, and he found his father lying on the ground with a boomerang sticking out of his father's chest. He was able to take Boomerang down, but his father...

He cried, he screamed. He pulled his hair out, his eyes so wide with shock and horror. His lips and hands trembling as he watched the blood seep out of his father's corpse.

Poor little Tim.

_'Everyone..._

_Everyone I have ever cared about._

_Everyone I have ever loved._

_Death took them..._

_Death took them all..._

_All of them..._

_Everyone I care about..._

_Is gone...'_

The fifteen year old Tim covered his face and threw the photo right across the room and it banged into the wall with all the glass shattering.

He crawled up into a ball as he felt the air around him being sucked away, he felt like he couldn't breath, but he knew that those were just the demons sitting in his lungs. It was hard to keep up with the world- with the enemy -when you're carrying everything on your back and you know...you'll eventually go mad.

The photo lay on the floor in shattered glass and a broken farm, but the photo itself stayed in tact. It was a picture that his family had taken a ling time ago with the Flying Grayson's. Where his story as Robin all began.

_'Everyone I care about....everyone I love..._

_Is dead..._

_They're all gone!'_

_'It's a cruel world we live in..._

_But it's my world...'_

**-BREAKLINE-**

Dick sat on the rooftop of the manor.

He stared up at the clouded afternoon sky, he watched as the little birds flew across the horizon, flapping their wings, with a few soft white feathers falling so gracefully...it was as if they were already a part of the sky.

The former Boy Wonder had one leg up and the other down with his elbow resting on his knee, he breathed in the warm air and he felt like that little Robin again, just about to leave the nest.

He had that small warm smile on his face as the little rays made his face glow brighter as if he was a little boy during Christmas.

But we all know...

That, that smile on his face...

Was a fake.

He was the first Robin, and the first to endure all that pain.

He was the first of the Robins. To watch his parents fall to their deaths. The first to don the mantle. The first to be unable to save countless of people.

All that pain. Endure. Take in that pain...

Then wake up the next day, and pretend that it never happened.

Fake it all. Fake it all.

It doesn't matter.

Pretend...

' _They fell to their deaths...and all I did was ball my eyes out...I did...nothing...'_

"Grayson." Dick didn't bother turning around to tear his eyes off of the view, he already knew who was behind him.

"What are you doing up here?"

The view was a wondrous sight, the empty road connected to the golden gates of the manor had expanded as far as the eye can see, until the city. The air was filled with regret that was quickly being dyed red by the sun. The red-orange rays of sunlight spread out, touching the tip of the highest tower in the city.

_'My name is Bruce Wayne. Now I'm giving you a choice. It's all up to you Dick. Go home with a man you've never met before, or stay in a Foster home.'_

"Guess you found me secret hiding place." Dick whispered still holding onto that golden little smile of his. His eyes were glistening in the sunlight, resembling the picture of the ocean.

The world had turned him slightly bitter, and he could never forget...all those pains. A day hadn't gone by, when he didn't wake up, with a nightmare...or a dream that he could never reach. He was only human after all, he couldn't keep smiling forever.

But it didn't hurt to just pretend.

"Tt. I've already figured the way up here long before."

" _Damian. You have to always reach perfection. I don't care if your hurt yourself. You are the heir to the league, getting hurt is a part of the process."_

Damian, the boy who never had a chance to live a normal life. The boy who had to stay in the mountains to train for the rest of his life- to become the perfect little weapon. That was all he was, a weapon...nothing else.

Dick nodded, "of course you did." He said, still unable to tear his eyes away from the distant photo of Gotham City.

Damian stood behind the man for a moment as the warm swept at his spiky hair. Caught in the moment, he slumped down beside his older brother.

They sat on the rooftop of the manor for a moment, side by side, staring at nothing but the horizon.

" _You can't keep me as Robin forever, Bruce! I'm not a little kid anymore! You have no idea what I've bee_ n _through! No idea!_ "

_"Damian. You are too unstable, not yet equipped to go on missions. You'll have to stay here, for now." I don't trust you..._

But then Damian scowled, with his blue eyes drifting off to the shadowy figure of the city, with the sunlight trying to turn the city darker, "what a disgusting sight."

Dick bowed his head and chuckled slightly, "you just had to ruin the moment, didn't you?"

"There was no moment." Damian replied.

A treacherous silence etched on and filled their lungs, but Dick was strong and breathed in the warm air of the trees, "I'm sorry..." He whispered silently.

Damian turned his head to the young man, questioning his words so dearly. "And what might you be sorry for?"

"For being a terrible brother." He sighed.

The boy didn't understand it, but it was as if something inside of him shattered, something that was so fragile. How could something so fragile be inside of him!?

"For not being here all the time."

"I'm sorry that the world gave you such a sucky older brother."

Damian looked away from the very first Robin. "I don't know what your talking about." He said with an emotionless voice.

"Huh?" Dick looked towards the little boy.

"Why would you beat yourself up over something so idiotic? If you want to blame anyone, blame this family. A dysfunctional family, one that isn't even worthy of the word 'family.' You blame yourself for not being able to keep something that doesn't exist. We are not family. And you are not my sucky brother." Damian answered, trying to seem as detached as possible.

Dick smiled and looked forward, knowing that those words were just Damian talk for, _it's not your fault._

"I guess not...this family really is broken." Dick whispered sadly, "but..."

"Let's just pretend that it's not."

...Pretend that they really were brothers.

...pretend that they weren't broken.

...pretend that they really were a family.

Damian stayed quiet and enjoyed the silence along with his brother. "I guess, that's the right thing, as of this moment..."

**-EARLIER THAT DAY-**

Jason raised his eyelids, revealing his teal green eyes.

The pre teen could only gape at the sight before her. Her mind trying to make the calculations that didn't make any sense.

This man in front of her, she knew him, she knew his face- she stared at it for moments a day, how could she not know? He looked the same, only older, with the basic structure of his face becoming more clear.

She knew this man, she knew his face from a moment that was captured in time.

But her mind could not believe it.

Those words, had flashed dark bold in the newspapers.

This man, was supposed to be dead.

But how could he be dead? When he's right here.

No, this man couldn't possibly be that little boy- the boy's face who was frozen within the glass frame forever.

So first, she asked. "Who are you?" It was the more logical reaction. Considering it was impossible for this man to be that boy.

"Judging by the look on your face. You know exactly who I am." He deadpanned.

Her brown eyes danced with confusion at first. But as a moment flew by, she was able to straighten her back and she smirked slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah I read your death in the newspapers. So what are you doing here? Did you fake your death or something?"

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

People ask the most difficult questions to answer. But the young man was prepared for all these questions, that's just how the human mind was like.

Jason sighed, and leaned back. "It's a long story kid. But yeah, I'm the real deal. No cloning, no faked death."

The twelve year old nodded, "okay...but that doesn't explain anything."

"I don't need to explain anything to you kid. You asked me to take off the mask, I did. End of story."

"Not really. I asked you who you were." That was the second time she rephrased a question within one day.

"Fine..." He sighed.

"It doesn't explain much but...woke up one day in a coffin, dug my way out."

Mitty was silence (for once). She shuddered, "that sucks."

"Uhu." Jason hummed shutting his eyes.

"Then...why are you Red Hood? You got a second chance at life. If I were you, the first thing I would do is go back to my family."

Jason looked away from her, "tried that. But like I said, they left."

The two sat in silence for a while, as Mitty took this all in, staring down at her feet. Then the girl looked up at him and smiled, "okay, I got it." She stood up and started walking towards the kitchen to make lunch.

She opened the stove and stared at the red fire as it danced with her shiny brown eyes, she mumbled, "it doesn't hurt to try again though..." She closed her eyes and shook her head before plastering on that little alert smile.

"So can I call you Jason instead of hood?" She asked loud enough for the man to hear.

"Call me whatever you want, kid. Couldn't care less."

She nodded at no body, opening the cabinets to take out the pot. "Good."

As she started making spaghetti, she connected all the dots for his story, and by the time the noddles were boiling, she understood everything...well...almost everything. She didn't know the answers to the question why though. She didn't understand it. She only knew a few things that made sense (even though what the man had just explained had made no sense whatsoever.)

But that was a question she'll ask some other time.

All she knew, was that Jason was Robin, who died and then crawled out of his very own grave, and came back...broken.

On the couch, Jason was back into a lying position, with his head rested on his arms. He was looking towards the window with the most painful memories shinning in his teal green eyes.

"You wanna rule them by fear! But what do you do to the ones who aren't afraid!? I'm doing what you won't! I'm taking them out!"

_"You say you wanna be better than me! But it won't happen! Not like this!"_

_"...I know I failed you, Jason. But I tried to save you...I...I'm trying to save you now..."_

"If it had been he had bested to a bloody pulp. If he had taken **you** from this world. I would've done **nothing** , but search the planet for this pathetic pile, of evil death worshiping maniac! And send him off to hell!"

_"You don't understand...I don't think you've ever understood..."_

_"All I've ever wanted to do is kill him. For years, a day hasn't gone by when i haven't thought about taking him...taking him and subjecting him to every horrendous torture he's dealt into others. And then..._ **_end_ ** _him. But if I do that, if I go down into that place. I'll never come back."_

"Why?"

_"What?"_

"Why do all the club-scouts in spandex say that? 'If I do that there's no coming back.' I'm not talking about killing Scarecrow, or Clayface. Not Cobblepot, or Dent. I'm talking about him...just him...because he took me away from you."

_"I'm sorry....I can't...I just....can't..."_

Jason closed his eyes and decided that whatever nightmare he had to face was worth it.

\---

They're all tough. Strong. Brave.

They're all different in many ways.

But they've got a few things in common. For one, they've all been broken, by this cruel world. They each had to find a way to survive in this world. They've all been through great tragedy, and pain. They each suffered, every single one of them had gone through a challenge greater than them.

Each of them fought so hard. They all endured all that pain, and came out alive.

And every single one of them, shared just one wish...even though most of them lock that wish away as it secretly ate at each individual.

All they wanted was to make their stone hard father...proud.


End file.
